Complicated
by Rosekeet
Summary: A new student is atHogwarts. Voldemort's Death Eaters have been killing Muggles. Restricted books are missing and odd things are happening. At the spring dance the unthinkable happens. Harry Potter and Hogwarts will never be the same.
1. The Witch From California

_Complicated_  
Chapter One: The Witch from California   
By, Rosekeet  
A/N:This is my fist PERSONAL Harry Potter fic. I don't really have a plot line laid out. I'm just kinda winging it. I've written one chapter of "Oh Boy! We go to Hogwarts!" for the freaky five. So, well, bear with me! It'll get better! Ron and Hermione romance! Also, this fic is named from Avril Lavigne's song _Complicated_ which is a really rad song. They lyrics will be included at the begining of each chapter. They go with the story, it may not make sense now, but it'll work in the end.  
  
_**Uh-huh  
Life's like this  
Uh-huh, uh-huh  
That's the way it is  
'Cause life's like this  
Uh-huh, Uh-huh  
That's the way it is**_  
  
"I'm starved!" Ron groaned as he leaned against the Gryffindor table.  
"Me too." Said Harry as he looked at up at the enchanted ceiling. Dark, angry looking clouds were spewing rain. "I hope they start the sorting soon..."  
"They better hurry up..." Ron growled. "And where in the name of Merlin's beard is Hermione?"  
"She's over there." Harry said pointing across the crowed hall where a girl with lots of brown, bushy hair, and a silver prefects badge was hurrying towards them.  
"Hello." She said briskly as she sat down.  
"Where were you?" Ron asked. Hermione smiled. She had a nice smile, now that her large two front teeth had been shrunk the year before.  
"I went with Rosalie on the boats. Isn't it stupid? She's our age and they made her ride those boats across the lake with all the first years!"  
"Who's Rosalie?" Harry asked.  
"Oh, she's-" A hush fell over the great hall as Dumbledore stood up. His half moon spectacles were resting on his crooked nose. There was no twinkle in his eyes tonight though. He looked very tired, and very old. _He must have been busy this summer..._Harry thought. He felt his stomach seize up as he did every time he thought of what had happened the year before. He shivered and looked over to the Ravenclaw table. Cho Chang looked sad.  
"Well. Here we begin another year." Dumbledore said, his voice sounding strong but tired at the same time. "The new first years shall be sorted along with a new foreign exchange student then you can all eat!" He said smiling at the crowd. Dumbledore sat back down and watched as Professor McGonagall, her black hat askew, sat the three-legged stool down with the old and battered sorting hat down in the middle of the stage.   
_An exchange student? Was that who Hermione was with?_  
A line of cold, soggy looking first years walked on to the stage. They all were trembling. Except for the girl in the front.   
She was much taller than all the rest. A blonde braid that reached to her knees hung down her back. Her head was held high and she walked as if she felt that she was somebody. She turned to face the hall and gazed leavily around it. She had big, blue eyes. Harry saw Malfoy whispering something to Goyle. Ron was staring at her and smiling to himself. She was EXTREMLY pretty.   
"Thats Rosalie." Hermione whispered. Harry nodded, and hopped she would be a Gryffindor.   
"Our first student will be joining the 5th years of one house. Allison, Rosalie!"  
Rosalie swooped down onto the stool and placed the hat on her head. It slid down over her eyes. Her hands lay still in her lap. Harry thought he could see them trembling. She sat on the stool as if it were a throne. Everything was very silent. The students starred intently at her, all the boys hopping she would be in their house. The minutes ticked by.  
Harry looked at the new watch Hermione had given him for his birthday.  
"It's been two minutes." He whispered. Hermione furrowed her brow. People were growing restless. Malfoy had taken to prodding a 3rd year ravenclaw girl in the back.  
"Three minutes" Harry whispered. Hermione looked worried. The Ravenclaw slapped Malfoy's hand away.  
"Four."   
"That's got to be some kind of record." Ron whispered in awe starring at the girl.  
"No. The record is ten." Hermione whispered back promptly. Second place is 4 minutes 45 seconds." Ron rolled his eyes. The girl hadn't moved. She sat still as stone. Dumbledore was looking intently at the hat and muttering something under his breath. _That's odd..._ Harry thought.   
"Five minutes. She's beaten the second place record. Why is it taking so long?"  
"Some people are more difficult to place than others." Hermione whispered. "It took the hat almost 2 minutes to sort you Harry." Harry watched the girl. Her hands were still resting motionless in her lap. Her black robes were flowing all around the stool.  
"GRYFFINDOR!" The hat called out to the hall. Harry, Hermione and Ron cheered with the rest of the Gryffindors as Rosalie Allison walked importantly towards the table.   
Malfoy was looking menacing. One more Gryffindor for him to deal with. Besides Rosalie was PRETTY, and he didn't stand a chance with a Gryffindor. As Rosalie walked by he put his leg out in her path. Her nose was so up in the air she wouldn't see it, Malfoy thought. Rosalie stopped momentarily to give it a good hard kick out of the way and sat down next to Hermione. Malfoy bit his lip and grabbed his shin and began to rock in pain. Harry and Ron looked a Malfoy and then at Rosalie who was gazing at the stage once again.   
Ron grinned at Harry and cheered as Lance Basen joined the Gryffindors. Harry glanced sideways at Rosalie. She had pink, smooth cheeks. Her eyes were very, blue and looked some what, haunted, they reminded Harry of Sirius's eyes. Her long blonde braid was hanging down her front and she was playing with the ends. Her red lips curled into a smile as Emily Bleck was added to their number. Harry decided right then and there that he liked Rosalie. Kelly Haut became a Ravenclaw. Jon Steinberg became a Heffelpuff. Dumbledore stood up as Geoff Zimmer became a Slytherin and headed to the Slytherin table.  
"So we begin another year." Dumbledore said looking around the great hall. Harry had never seen him look so tired. "Before we eat the delicious feast that has been prepared for us I'd like to tell the new students the rules. And remind the older ones." He said looking towards Fred, George, and Harry and Ron with a smile. "As you all know what happened last year I will say that it is more importent than ever to obey the rules for your own safety as well as the safety of others. No students are allowed in the Forbidden forest. No magic is to be used in the halls between classes and Mr. Flitch has asked me to tell you that tripping tops have been added to the list of forbidden objects. With that done let us EAT!" With Dumbledore's last word the golden plates and goblets filled with food. Ron grabbed the nearest thing and began to pile food on his plate.  
"Well, that was intresting." Rosalie said to Hermione in a thick American accent. "Do they do that for EVERY student that comes here?"   
"Yep!" Hermione.  
"So you've seen 5 of these?"  
"Yes."  
"This is only the 2nd one I've seen since my own." Harry commented as he bit into a soft, warm roll. Rosalie looked over at Harry.  
"Really? Why's that?"  
"Well, our 2nd year was when me and Ron flew his dads car to school..."  
"Boy did we get in trouble." Ron said as he shoved mashed potatoes and gravy into his mouth.  
"How cool! But, why'd you fly a car to school anyway? Why not take the train?" Rosalie asked as she examined a plate of gray looking pudding. Harry looked sheepish.  
"Long story..." Hermione rolled her eyes.   
"You two are luck they didn't expel you!"   
"Do you know how often we here this?" Ron asked. Rosalie laughed.  
Hermione shot Ron a dirty look and said,   
"These are my friends Ron Weasley and Harry Potter."   
"Hi." Rosalie said. "I'm Rosalie Allison." She shook Ron and Harry's hands. Her eyes lingered on Harry's for a brief moment. She smiled at him. She had a beautiful smile. Her teeth were very white. Around her neck was a thin silver chain with a miniature pocket watch on the end. Words were etched into it but Harry couldn't read them. Rosalie turned back towards her food and started on a slice of roast beef.  
"So what part of the US are you from?" Ron asked.  
"How'd you know I was from the US? Oh. It's my accent. Gosh. Its so weird thinking I have an accent! ...I'm from California."   
"What part?" Harry asked thinking back to his geography lessons he'd had with Dudley in his old school. It seemed like eons ago.  
"Up north. Near Chico. I doubt you know where that is though."  
"Don't they have a Wizarding school around there?" Hermione asked.  
"Yes. It's right out side of Roseville, the wizarding village."  
"Did you like the school?" Harry asked.   
"Yes. It was right over a cliff looking down on the ocean. My dormitory had a fantastic view of the sunsets. It wasn't nearly as big as Hogwarts but it was very beautiful."   
"Did you live near your school?" Hermione questioned as she piled more mashed potatoes onto her plate.  
"Sort-of. I lived on the outskirts of Roseville and close to Chico, the muggle town. My mother was a wizard and my dad wasn't."   
"Your mum was a wizard?" Ron asked suspiciously.   
"Or witch. I keep forgetting that here they call girl wizards witches." Harry took a big bite of Shepard's pie and asked.  
"So why are you here at Hogwarts anyway?" A cloud seemed to pass over Rosalie's face. Her eyes became full of loathing and traces of a smile were wiped off her face.   
"I had to come and live with my aunt, my mom's sister." She said bitterly. "My mom's British. She went to school here."  
"Don't you like your aunt?" Ron asked looking at Rosalie's dark face.  
"Yes. I like my aunt very much. You see, my parents went vacationing well I was at school last year to visit my mom's sister. Well there were in the Wizard village of Switzerland, there was this big explosion of something, no one knows exactly what happened, and Voldemort appeared." Ron shuddered. "His death-eaters killed the people who were running away one, by, one. Voldemort took care of my parents. The entire town, or the people left, blamed them for causing the destruction." All three were speechless. Harry hadn't known about these killings... They must have happened before the last task... Why hadn't anyone known?  
"W-why? Its not your parents fault." Hermione stammered.   
"Apparently Voldemort was after them." Rosalie said with a shrug. "I don't know why though... His death eaters also hunted down and killed the survivors before they could spread the word." She said answering their unvoiced questions.  
"I'm sorry." Harry whispered looking sideways at Rosalie. Her angry face softened and she smiled.   
"Its ok. Voldemort will get his someday." She said with an evil glint in her eyes. Ron, Hermione and Harry exchanged what-was-that-about looks.   
"What's this?" Rosalie asked happily looking into a gold pitcher.  
"Pumpkin juice." Ron answered.  
"Really? Weird! Is it good?"  
"Yes!" The feast continued. Rosalie was very nice. Harry wondered if she played quidditch. Now, that Oliver Wood wasn't at Hogwarts Harry was captain of the Gryffindor team. He needed a chaser and a keeper. He'd have to ask. Harry also wondered if she had a boyfriend.  
"Who kid who tried to trip me?" She asked suddenly. Harry grinned.  
"Draco Malfoy."  
"What's his problem?" Ron sighed.   
"We aren't sure."   
"Whatever it is I bet it's long and hard to pronounce." Rosalie said briskly. Ron snorted into his pumpkin juice.  
"He just seems to have a problem with all people who aren't in Slytherin. And people of muggle decent. Don't tell him your dad was a muggle." Harry advised.  
"I think he has some self realization issues." Hermione said taking a sip of her pumpkin juice. "He has an over-sized ego and thinks the world revolves around him. Rosalie grinned.  
"I think I agree." Harry stretched and yawned. He was tired. Hopefully Dumbledore'd dismiss them soon. The plates cleared and Dumbledore stood up and gazed leavily around the hall.   
"Now that your stomachs are filled you are ready to have you heads filled! Now off to bed with you all! Class begins tomorrow!"   
Rosalie, Ron, Harry and Hermione stood up and exited the hall with the crowed.  
"Where's our dormi-OW!" Rosalie yelped. Harry Ron and Hermione whirled around. Crabe and Goyle were sniggering and Draco had Rosalie by the end of her braid. Rosalie whirled around, her hair wrapping around her neck. She had her wand at Malfoy's throat.   
"Let-go-of-my-hair-or-you-will-live-to-regret-it." She said acidly.   
"What are you going to do?" He asked with a sneer.  
"Want to find out?" Rosalie said, poking Malfoy's neck.  
"I know what I'm going to do if you don't let go." Hermione said remembering her powers as a Prefect.  
"What, Granger?"  
"10 points from Slytherin!" She said promptly. "I'll make it 10 more if you don't let go!" Malfoy slowly dropped Rosalie's braid and motioned for Crabe and Goyle to follow him. Rosalie glared after him as they started towards the Gryffindor common room.  
"I wish you'd just have let me curse him, Hermione." She growled as the foursome climbed the stairs.   
"Me too!" Ron piped up. Hermione glared at all of them.   
"I'm a Prefect! I'm supposed to prevent rules from being broken not encourage it!" She snapped as she moved a tapestry aside for them to crawl through. "Besides, who knows what kind of trouble we would have gotten in!" Rosalie sighed and her face softened.   
"Wow... don't you get lost on your way up here?" She asked looking at all the long corridors and various paintings.  
"We used too." Harry said. "Not anymore though. Watch that step. It vanishes." Before long they reached the portrait of the fat lady.   
"Password?" She asked curtly. Hermione stepped forward.  
"Snozcumber." The painting swung open revealing a hole in the wall. They all climbed through.  
"G' night..." she said sleepily as she and Hermione climbed the stairs to the girls dormitory. Harry and Ron entered there dormitory with the five four posters. Mechanically he changed into his pajamas and fell into bed. He smiled to himself as he drifted off to sleep. This year was going to be VERY intresting. 


	2. The First Days

_Complicated_  
Chapter 2: The First Days  
By, Rosekeet  
A/N  
Why does NO ONE review my story? How come most other stories get LOTS of reviews and I don't? If you read this, I DO appreciate reviews. All authors do. Thank you. I know this sounds cliché. (My friend Louisa kindly pointed that out to me. *sarcasm*) It is different though. You'll see what I mean. Bear with me.  
  
_**Chill out,   
What you yellin' for?  
Lay back, it's all been done before  
And i fyou could only let it be  
You will see**_  
  
Harry yawned and stretched. He glanced at his watch. 6:32; it was early. He had an hour to sleep before he had to go down to breakfast. But Harry didn't feel sleepy. He opened the curtains surrounding his bed and swung his legs over the edge. A very weak sun was streaming through the window. He pulled on his robes and pulled a comb through his hair. Harry laughed quietly at himself. His hair was still as messy as it was before. Carefully he shut the door to the dormitory and crept down the stairs. To his surprise someone was sitting in the chairs in front of the fire. The girl looked up and smiled at him.  
"Morning!" Rosalie said cheerfully.   
"Hi." Harry said happily as he sat down next to her. Rosalie's hair was pulled back into a long braid with a silver ribbon at the end. She was wearing large, silver hoops on her ears and the same necklace around her neck as the day before.  
"You're up early." He said. Rosalie sighed.  
"I had trouble sleeping." Harry nodded and watched her stare into the fire. They sat together in uncomfortable silence. The silence was broken by a growl from Rosalie's stomach. She turned red. Harry laughed.  
"Hungry?"   
"Yeh...I'm starved!"   
"You can go down to the Great Hall for breakfast as soon as you get up." Rosalie turned even redder.   
"I was afraid I'd get lost." She mumbled. Harry grinned.   
"I'm hungry myself. Lets go."  
"What about Ron and Hermione?" She asked as they climbed out of the portrait hole.   
"They'll figure it out." Harry said and started off down the hall.  
~**~  
"Thanks for waiting!" Ron said sarcastically as he sat down on the other side of Harry.   
"We were hungry!"   
"Suuuuuuuuuuuure you were." Ron said smirking.   
"I should hex you." Harry muttered under his breath. Ron grinned. Hermione joined the trio 5 minutes latter sporting a full bag of books.  
"Morning!" She said cheerfully as she sat down.  
" 'ornin." Rosalie said through a mouthful of toast. Harry said hi as he piled more food onto his plate.  
"They have the best tea in England!" Rosalie was saying happily as she poured herself another cup.  
"What do we have first?" Ron asked Hermione. Hermione pulled her schedule out of her bag. She sighed.  
"Potions."  
"Damn!" Harry muttered under his breath.   
"With the Slytherin's again."  
Ron cursed. Rosalie looked puzzled.   
"What's wrong with potions?"   
"Everything." Ron said angrily.  
"Don't be so dramatic!" Hermione scolded. "There's nothing _wrong_ its just that, Professor Snape tends to favor the Slytherin's."  
" _Tends too?_" Ron raged. "He'd have us all expelled if they'd let him!"  
"It doesn't help that he hates the three of us more than anyone else." Harry pointed out.   
"He doesn't _hate_ us. Were just not his favorite students. He did save your life you know."   
Hermione said smoothly. Harry groaned.  
"I know. I don't have to like him though."   
~**~  
"Is he really that bad?" Rosalie asked nervously as they tramped down the stairs to the dungeons.   
"No." "Yes!" Hermione and Ron said in unison. They glared at each other.  
"Remember your teeth?" Ron said.  
"Teeth? What about them?" Hermione sniffed airily.   
"HA! You do remember! He's an agent of Satan and you know it!" Ron said trimumphantly.  
"Is not!" Hermione said. Harry sighed as the two bickered.   
"Ignore them." He advised Rosalie. "Just keep your mouth shut around Snape. Don't do anything dumb and don't look him in the eye. I'm convinced he can smell fear." He whispered glancing sideways. Rosalie giggled as they entered the dungeon. Ron, Hermione (who had stopped fighting), Harry and Rosalie sat down at a long table in the back. Silently Rosalie took out a paper and quill. Ron looked quizzically at her.  
"Notes." she whispered. Hermione put her hand to her head. "What am I thinking?" She muttered and got out her own paper and quill. Ron rolled his eyes.   
"Well... another year with you dunder heads." Said a cruel, icy voice. The entire class jumped. Neville began to shake. Snape's cold, steel eyes snapped around the classroom. He spotted Rosalie and strode quickly to the back of the room and stood in front of her.  
"A new student." He said in a surupy voice. "Name." He snapped.  
"R-Rosalie Allison, sir." She said quickly gazing up at him.   
"Where are you from?"  
"California."   
"Are you as big of a dunderhead as your table mates?" He asked with a sneer. Harry groaned internally. Snape had Rosalie in a corner with that one. Rosalie starred at him for a moment.  
"I don't think they're dunderheads." She said quietly looking at the table.   
"What did you say?"   
"I said, that I don't think they're dunder heads, sir." She said looking Snape in the eye. The classroom became more silent than it all ready was. Malfoy was smirking. Snape's cruel face twisted into a smile.  
"You don't think they're dunderheads do you?"   
"No I don't, sir."   
"Well, I guess that makes you a bigger dunderhead than them." He said with a fake sigh. "When we break up into groups you and Longbottom can work together. Better to have one big disaster than two small ones." He said as he strode to the front of the classroom to begin his lecture on sleeping potions. Harry glanced sideways at Rosalie. Red had flared up in her cheeks and her eyes were narrowed to slits.   
"Split into groups!" Snape called. "And make it snappy!" Rosalie picked up her supplies and seated her self next to Neville. Neville was shaking.   
"Are you good with potions?" He asked nervously.   
"Yes." She said. "I got top marks from my last potions teacher. Are you good with 'em?" Neville shook his head.   
"I couldn't brew a decent potion to save my life!"   
"Well, just do what I tell you and well be fine." She said with a small smile.   
~**~   
Rosalie ignored Snape's cold stare as she slowly added ground-scarabs to the sleeping brew. Finding nothing wrong with the potion he huffed off to the next table. Neville slowly stirred the concoction as Rosalie put out the fire with a jet of water from her wand.   
"It's almost done." She said with a sigh. "It just needs to age. Why don't you grab two vials for us?"  
Neville nodded and hurried quickly past Snape who was busy lecturing Dean and Seamus for not grinding their scarabs the right way.   
Rosalie poured the potion into the vials and muttered something under her breath. Her name appeared in silver on the bottle. She smiled to herself and sat the potion on the table.   
"Done already, Miss. Allison?" Snape asked coldly.  
"Yes." She just as coldly back.   
"Did you let the bile sit a full five minutes in the bottom of the cauldron before adding the sea water?"  
"Yes."  
"Did you put out the fire well stirring?"   
"YES." She said fiercely. "I followed the instructions _exactly_." Snape glared at her.  
"I'd watch your tongue if I were you, Miss. Allison. Someday it will get you into trouble." he hissed. Neville backed nervously away from her as he saw her cheeks get red. Angrily she shoved all her supplies into her bag.   
  
**_RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!!!!!!!_**   
  
Rosalie stormed out of the classroom. Ron, Hermione, and Harry found her at the bottom of the stairs to the dungeons talking to Malfoy. Her cheeks were very red and her eyes were flashing. With out warning her fist shot out and hit Malfoy in the stomach. Ron blinked and yet out a whoop. Harry and Hermione both started laughing. They all stopped as soon as they saw Rosalie's face.   
"What a Friken A!" She muttered. "Sorry, I didn't wait. I couldn't stand it in that hell hole another minute!"  
"It's ok." Hermione said. "Snape did seem to pick on you quite a bit."  
"Pick on her? He had it in for her!" Ron protested. "He didn't even bother with Harry today! By the way nice move punching Malfoy like that." Harry nodded. He would have enjoyed it if Rosalie weren't so upset.   
~**~  
"I have _never_ met a teacher that treats his students like that!" She raged as they made their way to Herbology. "You were all right!"   
"Why'd you punch Malfoy?" Hermione asked. Rosalie's eyes flashed.   
"I'd rather not discus it." She said through gritted teeth.   
~**~  
Harry took a long swig of pumpkin juice. Rosalie had calmed down now. Professor Sprout had liked her a lot; that was probably because she new what blue grass was used for. Malfoy was looking very unhappy and wasn't eating much. Rosalie sure could pack a punch.  
"What class is next?" Rosalie asked.  
"Transfiguration." Hermione promptly answered. Ron groaned.  
"What was that for?" Hermione asked sharply.   
"McGonagall gives a lot of Homework!"   
"I like transfiguration... At my old school 5th years start human transfiguration."  
"We do too!" Hermione said happily.  
"Really?" Ron asked keenly.  
"Yes!"  
"Brilliant! Now whenever Malfoy starts acting like a prat I can turn him into a ferret!" Harry sniggered and listened to Herminie's familiar lecture about breaking rules.  
"You cant do that! You'd get expelled!"  
"Yes but I'd get to see the look on that creeps face when he finds out his been turned into a ferret for the SECOND time!" Rosalie turned to Harry.  
"Malfoy's been a ferret _before_?" Harry grinned and told her when Professor Moody had given him his "punishment".   
Ron and Hermione were still arguing as they made their way to class.   
~**~  
"I can't believe all this homework!" Rosalie groaned as they walked down the hall.   
"I know!" Ron said looking at Hermione in an I-told-you-so kind of way. Harry sighed. He felt that personally he would rather do a lot of homework than be stuck as half a chicken for the rest of his life.  
"I wonder who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher is?" He mused. "I didn't see them at the feast."   
"New?" Questioned Rosalie.  
"Yeh... This'll be the 5th one in 5 years..."  
"You go through one every _year_?" Harry shook his head.  
"We go through 'em pretty fast."   
"Why do they leave?"   
"Quirrel was host to Lord Voldemort, Lockhart lost his memory and was a stupid prat, Lupin's a werewolf, and Moody wasn't really Moody." Harry said with a shrug. Ron sighed.  
"Its a shame, Lupin's a werewolf. He was the best of the bunch."  
"Moody was brilliant until we found out that he want to kill me." Harry pointed out.   
"Anybody's ok as long as it's not another Lockhart." Ron muttered. Hermione coughed.   
~**~  
As the door of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom opened the room became instantly silent. A young woman walked in. A _very_ young women. Hermione, Ron, Harry and Rosalie exchanged looks. This girl looked as though she had just graduated. She had dark red hair, and pale blue eyes. Her sky-blue robes hugged her slender, willowy figure. Her eyes gazed leavily around the room.   
"I'm Sondra Ellard." The teachers voice was low, and musical with a hint of a German accent. Sondra Ellards eyes bored into each of them. She may have been young, but the class could tell that Sondra Ellard was a teacher you didn't mess with.   
"As you hopefully know this is defense against the dark arts. This is perhaps if not your most importent, your must useful and necessary class you take. I expect you all to pay attention and get good marks. No exceptions. You will be confronted with the Dark Arts many times in your future and present lives. You have to know enough to make the choice of which side you stand with. I'm here to teach you so you can protect yourselves AND make the choice of where you stand." Miss. Ellard picked up her roll sheet and read off names.   
"Allison, Rosalie."   
"Here."  
"Brown, Lavender."  
"Present."  
"Granger, Hermione."  
"Present."   
Miss Ellard dropped the piece of parchment with the class's names on it on her desk.   
"Well." She said. "You have all ready covered the unforgivable curses. Those aren't the only Dark Curses favored my The Dark Lord and his followers, though. Open your books to page 431."   
~**~  
"I'm going to bed." Ron said with a yawn as he picked up his books. The big clock read 10:02. Harry grabbed his books and followed.  
"G' night."  
~**~  
An hour latter Rosalie and Hermione climbed the stairs to the girl's dormitory.  
"So," Hermione asked sleepily, "What do you think of Hogwarts."   
"I like it." Rosalie said quietly as she pulled on her PJ's. "I like it very much." She said with a little smile as she fell into bed.   
~**~~**~**~**~**~  
The next day was beautiful and sunny. Clouds drifted lazily across the sky, reflected in the lake. It was a perfect day for Care of Magical Creatures.   
Rosalie, Ron, Harry, and Hermione walked down to Hagrid's hut after an early breakfast to help him get ready for his class.   
"Hullo!" Hagrid called from the front of his hut. On his shoulder a beautiful golden bird was perched. Its beautiful tail plumage hung down Hagrids back.   
"Is that a- phoenix?" Rosalie asked in awe.   
"That's Fawks." Harry said. "Dumbledore's bird." At these words the magnificent bird flew from Hagrids shoulder to Harry's. He staggered a bit under the weight.  
"Hello, Fawks. Long time no see."   
"I 'ought we'd start off the year with Phoenixes." Hagrid said. "Dumbledore let me borrow 'em fer the lesson."   
"He's gorgeous." Rosalie breathed. Fawks turned its head and looked at Rosalie. It spread its large wings and in one flap landed on Rosalie's shoulder. Her knees buckled slightly with the weight as the bird landed on her.   
" 'e seems to like yeh." Hagrid said thoughtfully, stocking his beard. "I don' think I've seen yeh around the school afore."  
"I'm new." Rosalie said. "My names Rosalie."   
"I'm Hagrid. Yer, the new transfer students aren't yeh?"  
"Yes." Rosalie answered as she stroked Fawks.   
"So, how were yer summers?"  
"Fine, thanks." Said Hermione.   
"How was yours?" Ron asked keenly.   
"I learned my lesson ter watch my mouth 'round you lot 4 years ago." Hagrid said smiling. "I ain't saying nothin'."   
~**~   
"'Is 'ere is a Phoenix." Hagrid said. Fawks was now perched on Hagrids shoulder. "Very rare, phoenix's are. When, there ready ter die, they are consumed by flames an' are re-born again from the ashes." Harry thought about the time HE had seen Fawks burn up, and how badly it had scared him. "Very powerful magical creatures, phoenixes. Their tears 'ave healin' powers. Now, any of you lot who want ter pet Fawks, 'ere come on up." The whole class moved towards Hagrid and Fawks.   
Harry thought, Fawks was being rather good about the whole thing since there were at least ten hands on him. "Fer homework I want you all ter read the section in yer books about Phoenixes!" Hagrid yelled to the class as the bell rang.   
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Rosalie said good-bye to Hagrid and started back up to the castle for charms. "Why don' you lot come an' visit on Friday?" He called to them.  
"All right! Thanks!" Harry called back. Rosalie sighed happily.  
"Its nice to have proper care of magical creatures lessons." She said. "My old teacher liked these horrible, dangerous, monsters. I hated it." Ron coughed loudly and Harry and Hermione exchanged looks.   
"What?"  
"Nothing." The three said in unison. Rosalie screamed.   
"What happened?" Harry asked.   
"A-a snake slithered over my foot." She answered. She was breathing heavily. A long, green snake was slithering into the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. "It startled me."   
"There goes another one!" Hermione cried pointing to a small brown snake.   
"And another!" Ron yelled.  
"Come on!" Rosalie called. "Were going to be late." The quartet ran up to the castle jumping over 2 more snakes along the way.   
~**~  
"Are- there-always-that many-snakes?" Rosalie panted as she slumped down into her seat.   
"No." Ron answered. Harry furrowed his brow in thought. That was odd. He thought. He had never seen a snake in Forbidden Forest before. Odder still he hadn't _heard_ any of the snakes. He usually heard them talking to themselves or, to one another.   
"What's up?" Ron asked looking at Harry.  
"Nothing." He lied.   



	3. Quidditch

_Complicated_   
Chapter 3: Quidditch   
By, Rosekeet   
A/N: You, know if you read this I WOULD appreciate a review. Even if you don't FINISH it. I put a lot of effort into these stories. I have a question. Are my chapters too long? Cause I get NO reviews. Maybe the stories bad? TELL ME!!!!!!   
  
_**I like you the way you are  
When we're, driving in my car  
And you're talking to me  
One on one  
But you become**_  
  
In the weeks that followed Harry learned a lot. First of all he learned to NEVER EVER touch Rosalie's hair. Malfoy had tried this again and had earned himself another punch in the stomach. Malfoy and Rosalie seemed to hate each other even more than he and Harry hated one another. Secondly, Rosalie had a VERY quick VERY bad temper. Snape usually managed to flare it very quickly. Rosalie had all ready gotten a detention from him for talking back to him in a "threatening manner." Rosalie didn't take to kindly to this. Harry didn't blame her very much. Snape seemed to have forgotten that he existed. Not that this wasn't a pleasant change but he had turned his attention to Rosalie. Harry liked Rosalie very much and felt sorry that Snape hated her so much.   
Hermione seemed to be much happier that usual. Harry decided that she was glad to have another girl to converse with, though the giggling did sometimes get irritating. All and all the school year was shaping up very nicely.   
~*~   
Harry groaned and put away his Transfiguration homework. McGonagall had given them LOADS of homework. Tomorrow they were starting human transfiguration. Harry stretched and got up. The first Quidditch practice of the season was this evening.   
"Where're yeh going?" Rosalie asked looking up from her Defense Against the Dark Arts book.   
"I'm going to get my broomstick. Quidditch practice."   
"Oh!" Rosalie said and shut her book. "Try outs are today right?"   
"Yes."   
"Coolio. Who's the captain?"   
"Me." Harry said feeling himself go slightly pink.   
"Really? Cool! Wait for me, I'll get my broom." Rosalie grabbed her books and raced up the stairs to the girls' dormitory.   
"Are you coming Ron?" Harry asked.   
"I don't think so. I don't have a good enough broom." Ron said.   
"Oh." Harry said awkwardly.   
"Besides I wouldn't want to interfere between you and _Rosalie_" Ron said batting his eyelashes. Harry went red and shot Ron a dirty look before racing up the stairs to get his broomstick leaving Ron chuckling behind him.   
~**~   
"What position due you play, Harry?"   
"Me? I'm a Seeker. How about you."   
"I'm a Chaser."   
"Brilliant! I need a chaser! Are you good?"   
"I'm OK." Rosalie said modestly.   
"Were you on a team at your old school?"   
"Nope. We didn't have teams."   
"You didn't?" Harry said in surprise.   
"You don't see Quidditch much in the States. My mom grew up here, so she taught me how to play."   
"Oh."   
"HARRY!!" A shrill voice called. "WAIT UP HARRY!!!!!" Harry groaned.   
"What's that matter?" Rosalie asked.   
"That's Colin."   
"So?"   
"The kid's president of his own 'Harry Potter Fan club.'" Harry said tiredly. "Hullo, Colin. Coming to watch practice?"   
"No. I'm going to try out!" Whatever Harry had been expecting to hear, it wasn't that.   
"You're going to **_WHAT_**!?"   
"Try-out." Colin said brightly.   
"For what?" Harry asked miserably.   
"Keeper."   
"I don't really think, you're the right, um, 'build' for a keeper Colin. You look more like a Seeker."   
"Really?"   
"Yes!"   
"Too, bad you're Seeker all ready. I'll try out for keeper. I've been practicing." Harry sighed.   
"He doesn't look so bad." Rosalie whispered to Harry as the two of them walked onto the Quidditch Pitch.   
"I guess not." Harry said as he waved to the Weasley twins who were being yelled out by Madam Hooch who had caught them enlarging slugs.   
~***~   
Harry watched the chasers pass the Quaffle to one another. Four people including Rosalie had tried out for Chaser. Rosalie was the best of the four hands down. Harry watched as she waked the ball into the middle hoop with the tail of her broomstick. Jerry, a chubby 3rd year missed blocking it by a mile. He wasn't cutting it as a keeper. Harry hated to admit it but Colin had been the best.   
"OK!" He yelled. "EVERYBODY ON THE GROUND!" The students trying out waited in a nervous huddle for the teams' decision. Harry looked at all of them.   
"Ok. Thank you all for trying out." He said. "We've decided that Colin will be Gryffindor's new Keeper, and Rosalie will be the new Chaser." Rosalie and Colin gave each other a high-five and went to join the team. The others shuffled off miserably.   
"Welcome to the team!" Harry said. "Practice is at 6:00 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. We have the pitch for another 15 minutes so, lets give it a go."   
~****~   
Harry yawned and climbed into his big four-poster. Colin's happy voice was still ringing in his ears. He had seemed to be in a state of shock all through practice. Harry thought he had a great team. They would win the Quidditch cup for sure this year.   
~*~**~ ~*~**~~*~**~~*~**~~*~**~~*~**~~*~**~~*~**~~*~**~~*~**~~*~**~~   
"Are you sure she's at Hogwarts?" A cold, cruel voice said.   
"P-p-positive m-my Lord." A frightened, submissive voice answered.   
"Well, you better hope you're right."   
"M-my sources d-d-d-don't lie, My Lord."   
"If they have they will cost your life." The voice said menacingly.   
~*~**~ ~*~**~~*~**~~*~**~~*~**~~*~**~~*~**~~*~**~~*~**~~*~**~~*~**~~   
"Will you pass the bacon?" Ron asked Rosalie. Rosalie nodded and passed him the plate as she read Hermione's copy of the daily prophet well she was studing her notes.   
"Why're you studying Hermione?" Harry asked.   
"We start Transfiguring ourselves today." She said. "I don't know about you but I don't fancy being stuck as an animal or something." Hermione shuddered. "Its not fun." Ron snorted.   
"That's right. You got stuck as a cat!" Hermione glared at him.  
"Well-"   
"Guys, listen to this," Rosalie said ernestly. " 'An estimated 50 muggles were killed yesterday when a shopping mall in Liverpool exploded. Muggles claim that the explosion was caused by a leak in a gas line but the ministry fears that Dark Wizards are some how involved.' " Rosalie read.   
"Why would dark wizards want to blow up a shopping mall?" Ron asked. Rosalie shook her head.   
"I have no idea. You'd think they'd spend they're time doing something more important, instead of killign muggles. It says here there have been more escapes from Azkaban." Harry shook his head.   
"I bet they have some reason."   
"We don't even know if it was Dark wizards though." Hermione pointed out. "The ministry doesn't know for sure."   
**_RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING_**   
"Come on." Harry said. "We better get to class."   
  
  



	4. The Violin

_Complicated_  
Chapter Four: The Violin  
By Rosekeet  
  
_**Somebody else  
'Round everyone else  
Watchin' your back   
Like you can't relax  
You're tryin' to be cool  
You look like a fool   
To me**_  
  
_**Tell me**_  
  
Ron groaned and put his head down on his open book. "I swear! Ellard gives more homework than McGonagall!" He groaned.   
"I KNOW!" Rosalie said as she used her wand to erase a mistake on the essay she was writing. "A 1 and half meter essay on an illegal curse!"   
"I find it rather odd that she wants us to study these curses." Hermione mused. "I mean, she's given as all notes to go into the restricted section! We could learn our curse!"   
"You mean you haven't?" Ron said looking surprised.   
"You have?!" Hermione gasped sounding appalled.   
"Sure. I mean if you read about it you learn how to do it."   
"I know mine." Harry piped up.   
"Me too." Rosalie said.   
"Why though?" Hermione gaped. Rosalie shrugged.   
"They might come in handy someday." She said with a strange glint in her eye as she shut her book.   
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"All right," Professor McGonagall's crisp voice rang out, "On my mark you may begin." The strict looking teacher strode the front of the class room. She glared at each student in turn and the said loudly, "Begin!"   
"I really don't like this; I really don't like this…" Rosalie muttered as she licked her lips nervously.   
"I'll go first." Harry said boldly. He raised his wand and pointed it at him self. He took a deep breath and cried, "Muto pennipotenti!" In a burst of white light, a small black bird had taken the place of Harry.   
"Yeh, Harry!" Rosalie cheered as she clapped. "Professor! Harry's done it!" She called.   
"Very good, Potter." Professor McGonagall said nodding approvingly. "Miss. Allison will change you back. Rosalie nodded and said.   
"Muto vere formo!" In an instant Harry was standing back in the class room looking pleased with himself and slightly disgruntled  
. "You did it!" Rosalie said and threw her arms around him in a quick hug. Harry felt himself going red.   
"I-it's not that hard…" He mumbled feeling embarrassed. He glanced back at Ron and Hermione. Hermione was busy reading something. Ron, who was laughing, batted his eyelashes at Harry who went even redder. Harry turned back to Rosalie who was watching Dean, who was trying to return Seamus back to Seamus.   
"Ready?" He asked.   
"Huh?"   
"It's your turn. Ready?"   
"No." Rosalie said with a sigh. "But I have to anyway." She licked her lips and raised her wand. "Here I go." She took a deep breath and cried "Muto pennipotenti!" There was a brilliant flash of white light and a cry of dismay. Large wings were sprouting from Rosalie's shoulder blades, and a tail from her backside. The class room exploded into laughter. Rosalie's blue eyes welled up with tears.   
Harry think fast raised his wand and muttered. "Muto vere formo!" The wings and tail vanished but the laughter didn't.   
Professor McGonagall hurried over to the table.   
"That was quick thinking Potter." She said. "But Ms. Allison, I think you said the spell to fast. Try again."   
"Do I have to?" She pleaded wiping her eyes.   
"Yes." The Professor said and returned to the front of the class. Rosalie sniffed and turned back to Harry.   
"Thanks." She muttered. "I'm going to try again. Muto pennipotenti!" There was a flash of light and a small white bird flapped where Rosalie had stood.   
"Yeh Rosalie!" Harry cheered. "Muto vere formo!" In another flash of white light Rosalie appeared. She stood unsteadily, swaying slightly.   
"Are you alright?" Harry asked looking worriedly at Rosalie. As if in reply to his question Rosalie blacked out and collapsed forward. Harry staggered backwards slightly as the unconscious girl fell into his arms.   
~*~  
Rosalie's blue eyes blinked open. The entire class was hovering over her. "I am never doing that again!" She muttered as she sat up, groaning slightly. "Are you all right?" Harry asked looking concerned.   
"I'll live." She said with a wan smile.   
"You most certainly will." Professor McGonagall said. "That happens sometimes because your body isn't used to having its molecules shifted." She explained.   
RINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG!   
The entire class zoomed out of the class room.   
"Miss. Allison, if you feel ill later don't hesitate to go see Madam Pomfrey." Professor McGonagall said.   
"All right." Rosalie said.   
~*~  
"Are you ok?" Harry asked worriedly.   
"I'm sure she's the same as she was 10 minutes ago…" Ron muttered in Harry's ear. Harry ignored this comment and listened for Rosalie's reply.   
"I'm fine." She said as she took a swallow of milk. "Transfiguration's like my worst subject. I think I'll head up to the common room." She said and got up.   
"All right. We'll meet you up there later!" Hermione called.   
"OK!!"   
"Awwwwwwww…" Ron said putting on a sugar coated voice. "Isn't it cute?"   
"What?" Harry asked as he watched Rosalie leave the great hall.   
"Widdle Harry has a widdle crush on Rosalie." He said grinning. Harry turned scarlet.   
"I do not!"   
"Awfully defensive aren't we?" Harry turned even redder than he did before, and didn't say anything. Ron started cracking up.   
"I don't think Rosalie'd mind too much." Hermione said absently. "That transfiguration is harder than I thought." She continued changing the subject as the three of them got up.   
"I didn't really think so." Harry said, hoping his face had returned to a normal color.   
"I don't think I'd mind it if McGonagall didn't give so much work." Ron grumbled. "We didn't get that much."   
"Yes we did. 5 pages worth."   
"It's less than what we get in my arithmancy class."   
"Well this stuffs hard!" Ron countered.   
"It's not that hard!" Harry sighed and rolled his eyes. Trying to stop them would be like trying to stop the tides.   
As the three of them said the password (piggly-wiggly) and the portrait hole swung open they were greeted with the sound of music. The notes rose and fell beautifully in a soft, slow Melody. The three of them looked at each other.   
"What is it?" Ron whispered.   
"I don't know." Harry said.   
"It sounds like a violin." Hermione mused.   
"Yes, but who's playing it?!" Ron hissed.   
"Are you three going to stand there the rest of the evening?" The fat lady said irritably.   
The tri stepped into the short hallway that led to the common room and drew there wands. The music stopped in a rude sounding squawk, which was fallowed by some heavy cursing.   
The three of them rounded the slight bend into the common room, wands out front.   
"Hello!" Rosalie said as she peered over the top of two pieces sheet music hovering in front of here. Rosalie returned her gaze to her music and the bow of her violin started moving up and down again. A loud squeak interrupted the melody and Rosalie sighed and put her instrument down on her lap.   
"Done with dinner?" The three nodded, dumbfounded, and Ron stuttered out,   
"Wh-what are doing?" Rosalie gave Ron a strange look and said,   
"Practicing. What does it look like I'm doing?"   
"Why?" Hermione asked.   
"Well, to try out for the Orchestra of course!" Hermione, Ron and Harry looked at each other puzzled.   
"You don't have an Orchestra?"   
"No." Harry said.   
"Rats." Rosalie muttered. "My old school had one. But I guess that's more reason I should practice!" She finished cheerfully and started to put her violin away.   
"I didn't know you played." Harry said as he sat down in an arm chair by her.   
"You didn't? Oh. I guess I never said anything." She said with a shrug.   
"You're very good." Harry said shyly.   
"Really? You think so?"   
"Yes. Well, except for the cussing." Rosalie went red.   
"Sorry about that. I didn't think anyone was here."   
"It's very interesting you play and instrument." Hermione said thoughtfully.   
"Why's that?"   
"Well, music isn't a real common trait in wizards. To busy with spells, charms and such I guess."   
"Oh. I didn't know that." Rosalie said. As she clipped the case shut. "I still can't believe none of you play anything!"   
"I learned to play the recorder in school." Harry piped up. Rosalie laughed.   
"I remember I got a recorder for my 8th birthday."   
"I'm going to go get my books." Hermione said briskly. "We do have a good amount of homework!"   
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ As Harry and Ron walked down the stairs from their dormitory the next morning they were once again greeted with the sound of Rosalie's violin. They crept quietly down the steps and into the common room as not to interrupt the quick paced lively song.   
"Morning!" She said cheerfully as she finished the song.   
"That was good." Ron said. "You sure get up early don't you?"   
"Yeh…" She said as she started to wipe down her violin.   
"What's on the side of it?" Harry asked.   
"What? Oh." Rosalie smiled. "Here." She held it out for Harry to see. "Take it."   
Harry looked at her uncertainly.   
"I seriously doubt you can hurt it." She laughed. Harry gingerly took the instrument and began to examine it. It was made of a beautiful wood that had a red glow to it. On the sides of it were carved blooming, budding roses that were connected by a curving, swirling vine. Harry new nothing about violins but he had a feeling that this one's special.   
"Wow." said Ron, examining it. "I've never seen a violin up close before but I know most of them aren't like that."   
"They aren't. My parents had it specially made for me for my 13th birthday." She said "It was the best present I ever got." She finished sadly. Harry gave her back the instrument and she put it away.   
"I'm going to put this away and wake Hermione up." She said and dashed up the stairs. Rosalie choked back the tears threatening to spill out and shoved down her sadness. She couldn't cry in front of them…   
Hermione was up and dressed when Rosalie walked in.   
"Morning!" She said cheerfully.   
"Hi." Rosalie said putting on a faux smile on her face, and putting up a convincing façade of cheerfulness. Together the two girls left their dormitory 


	5. A Visit to Hagrids

_Complicated_  
Chapter 5: A visit to Hagrid's  
By, Rosekeet  
A/N   
I haven't written for a while but I'm going to try to finish this.   
  
DISCLAIMER  
Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasly, Proff. Snape, McGonagall, Malfory, Crab, Goyle, the fat lady, Hogwartts ect. all belong to J.K. Rowling. Rosalie and Rosalie only belongs to me.  
  
_** Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?   
I see the way you're  
Acting like you're somebody else gets me frustrated  
Life's like this, you  
And you fall and you crawl  
And you break and you take  
What you get and you turn it into   
Honesty promise me I'm never gonna find you fake it  
  
No, no, no**_  
~*~  
Harry, Ron, Hermione and Rosalie had put there books away and were heading towards Hagrids cabin. It was a lovely autumn day. The conversation wasn't as lovely.   
"I still can't believe there has been another Muggle attack!" Hermione as sayig. "Really." Ron said shaking his head. "What does He-who-must-not-be-named want with muggles anyway?"  
"Who knows." Harry said. "I mean, he wants to kill me, and I'm only 15 years old and still in school."   
"What do you think, Rosalie?" Hermione asked.   
"What?"  
"About the muggle killlings?"   
"Oh. Sorry, I was spacing out. I didn't sleep well last night..."   
"Yeh. Were you having a nightmare?" Hermione asked. "I heard you thrashing and muttering something about prophecies."   
"I was having a nightmare. I-I was running from Voldermort. He was yelling a prophecy at me."   
"What was it?" Ron asked.   
"I don't remember. It had something to do with muggles though." she said shaking her head.   
"Must be a combination of the news and Defense Against the Dark Arts." Hermione commented as she knocked on Hagrids door.   
Rosalie didn't say anything. Harry saw that her eyes were full of tears.   
" 'ello!" Hagrid called. "Come on in!"   
"Hi Hagrid!" Ron called as he opened the door. "Down, Fang!"   
"Hello!" Rosalie called out cheerfully. Harry noticed the tears were gone.   
~*~  
"What do you lot make of all these muggling killings?" Hagrid asked as he looked at the paper.   
"I don't know." Hermione answered. "I can't figure out what the Dark Lord would want with muggles."   
"Maybe he does it for fun." Ron said with a shrug. "Some sort of cruel hunting game."   
"I don't think so." Rosalie said quietly. "Voldermort is too smart for that. He must have reason."   
"Rosalie's right." Harry said. "Voldermort may be evil but he's not stupid."   
"But what 'others me," Hagrid said stroking his beard. "Is that all these hattacks are 'appening in the US. He-who-must-not-be-named was last seen in Swizerland. He completely did in a wizard village. I saw it meself over the summer."   
"You were in Switzerland?" Ron asked.   
"Yeah. 'an that's all I'm sayin."  
"Y-you saw the village?" Rosalie said, her voice sounding strained.   
"Yeah. There was 'othing left. Just 'eaps and 'eaps o' rubble. Not a building left standing. Not a single sould survived. He was right clever 'bout it I'd say. Not many people know 'bout it. Hunted down the survivors, so they couldn't spread the word. Reckon he wanted it kept quiet so's no one'd know were he was."   
"I know." Rosalie said.   
"You know? How'd you 'ear 'bout it?"   
"My parents were murdered there." She said flatly. Everyone was silent. Hagrid looked stunned.   
"You- I- I'm real sorry. I shouldn't 'ave mentioned it."   
"No, it's fine. No one really told me anything about it. I think it'd be better if I knew. I've been having nightmares. Maybe if I know something about it they'll stop."   
"Well..." Hagrid said stroking his beard. "I reckon it couldn't 'urt if I told you this... as long as yeh don't mind and yeh don't tell."   
"Ok."   
"All right."   
"Ok."  
Rosalie nodded.   
"The rummor is that He was after a family. I don't remember the name, it ain't important anyways. They also say that he wasn't out to kill 'em. Wanted there 'elp with something. But when they refused, he killed 'em. They also say that he killed the whole blinkin' town 'cos he didn't want the word to get out. The towns hidden way up in the mountains, yeh see, so he made a right clean job of it. Not a soul left."   
"That family was my parents." Rosalie said biting her lip. No one said anything.  
"Hagrid, do you know what Voldermort wanted of them?"   
" I'm afraid I can't say. Know one knows, I spect, cept them and the Dark Lord hisself."   
Rosalie sighed heavily gnawed her lip. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence.   
" 'ow're all yer classes goin'?" Hagrid asked changing the subject.   
"Fine." Hermione said.   
"McGonagall's been giving us tons of homework."   
~*~  
Rosalie was very quiet the rest of the day, Harry worried about her. He himself was unsettled by Hagrids story. Could it be true that all the muggle attacks were, was devices to destract everyone? And why did Voldermort want with Rosalies parent, especially since her father was a muggle? Harry went to sleep that night with a trubled mind, and his dreams were haunted of visions of a village going up in flames.   
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
"Where's Rosalie?" Harry asked one night in the common room a week later. Rosalie was back to her old self. In fact, it seemed to Harry that she had forgottent the entire conversation. Either that, or Rosalie was a brilliant actor. Harry strongly suspected the latter.   
"Why do you want to know?" Ron said grinning. Harry sighed,   
"Look, will you just lay off?"   
"Not untill you admit it!"   
"Admit what?"   
"You know perfectly well what I mean!" Ron said.  
"Fine! Fine!"   
"Say it..."   
"I have a crush on Rosalie! There, are you happy?"   
"Yes. She said she went to talk to somebody about something or other." Ron said.   
"You know, you should tell, Rosalie you like her." Hermione said.  
"WHAT?! You weren't supposed to here that!!!!!!" Harry yelled.   
"Well, I've only been sitting right behind you for the past hour." Hermione said rolling her eyes. "You should tell her."   
"No way."   
"You might be surprised." Harry opened his mouth to reply when Rosalie ran up to them.   
"Guess what?"   
"What?" Ron said. Harry went red.   
"Well, you know how Halloweens next week right?"  
"Yeh..."   
"Well, Dumbledore agreed to my idea of throwing a dance!"   
"A dance?" Ron said skeptically.   
"Yeh. We'll still have the feast. We used to have one every year at my old school. They were so much fun."   
"We don't have to where our dress robes do we?" Ron asked.   
"No." Rosalie said with a laugh. "It's going to be so much fun!"  
~*~  
That night Harry went to bed think about what Hermione had said. _Tell her. You might be surprised._ What did that mean? Maybe he'd ask her to dance...   



	6. At the Halloween Dance -or- A Dark Secre...

_Complicated_  
Chapter 6: At the Halloween Dance -or- A Dark Secret  
By, Rosekeet  
  
_** You come over unannounced  
Dressed up like you're something else  
Where you are and  
Where you sat, you see  
You're making me  
Laugh out  
When you strike a pose  
Take off all your preppy clothes  
You know   
You're not fooling anyone  
When you become  
**_  
  
~*~HARRY POTTER'S POINT OF VIEW~*~  
My eyes quickly scanned the paper. I blinked and udjusted my glasses. The combined effects of the smell of Proffesor Trelawney's classroom and Rosalie always insisiting in writing in silver ink were giving me a head ache.   
"Rosalie, will you use black ink next time?" I said as I finished reading the paper about her dreams. (For the past week we had had to write down any dreams we had, for Divination. Trelawney was teaching us how to use them to predict the future.)   
"Sorry." She smiling appologetically and flipping through her book. She was working on translating Nevilles dreams. Her tounge was poking out of her lips in concentration as she scanned the paper. Rosalie has a knack for Divination but like myself, Ron and just about everybody else (except Lavender and Pravati) thinks Trelawney's an old bat.   
"Well, Neville," she said straiting up. Neville looked worried. "It seems as though you're going to do good on some sort of test, sometime soon."   
"Test? We don't have any tests." He said.   
"Yeh, we do," I said looking up from Rosalies paper. It was a dream similar to the one she told me about when we were going to Hagrids. "We have one in potions tomorrow." Ron said a word Hermione wouldn't have approved of and Neville looked faint.   
"I never ever do good in Snapes class!"   
"Maybe you'll do better than usual." She said handing him the paper. "Done with mine Harry?"   
"Almost..." I said going pink. Man, I need to learn to control that. I scanned the page. Voldermort chasing her, yelling a prophecy. It was the same every night. I looked at the meanings and shook my head.   
"What?" She asked.   
"Well, according to this, your dreams mean, that this prophecy or whatever is true. But you're running because you're afraid of it." She looked very pale and afraid. "Where does Voldermort fit in?" Ron and Neville flinced.   
"I'm not sure... I think it means that this propecy or whatever has something to do with him, but I think it's just because of what happened to your parents." She didn't respond. I glanced up. She took a deep breath and sighed. I opened my mouth to say something but heard Ron laughing.   
"What's so funny?" He handed me my paper. Ron had scribbled the meaning on the bottom. _You're in love with Rosalie._ it read _Something, "good" will happen. Good luck, Romeo!_ My face went hot.   
"You're gonna pay big time!"   
"What're you goning to do!" I grinned.   
"Let's just say I know a certin something about a certin someone that another certin someone wouldn't want this someone to know." Ron looked confused. I glanced at Rosalie. She was grinnig and mouthed _Hermione_ at me. I nodded and she collapsed in a fit of giggles. Ron finally caught on and shot me a dirty look.   
"Truce?"   
"Truce."   
***  
~*~NARRATOR'S POINT OF VIEW~*~  
Halloween dawned cold, and clear. Fall had sat in at Hogwart's. The entire school was buzzing about the dance. Harry was still mentally debating about wether or not to ask Rosalie to dance with him, and he strongly suspected Ron was doing the same thing. Rummors were flying around about who was going with who and about the feast but Rosalie was the most excited. Girls from all years and houses (everyone was allowed to attened) were comming up and thanking her. She was positivly beaming. In fact, she looked better than she had all month. She had been looking rather drained, lately, Harry thought. But he dismissed the thought with the idea that things were more laid back in California.   
*  
Finally it was 7 o'clock. Every one was bustling down to the great hall. Harry and Ron were waiting in the common room. Since it was non-formal niether of them had bothered to change. Harry was feeling nerves in his stomach but didn't know why. Finally, the two girls hurried down the stairs. Rosalie had her hair pulled back in a half pony-tail with an orange and blak ribbon. It had been in a braid all day so it was wavy and flying around her. She was also sporting large, pumpkin earings and the same silver necklace she always wore. Hermione's hair was pulled back in a braid woven with a orange ribbon. Harry thought it was a good look for her and Ron apparently did too by the way his face was turning the same color as his hair.  
"You're hair looks nice like that." He said to Hermione his face getting redder.   
"Thanks." she said going pink. "Rosalie did it for me." Harry and Rosalie grinned *  
As always the feast was magnificent. Harry had to stop himself from eating 4 helpings so he would be able to move for the dance part. When everyone was done eating and the plates had cleared Dumbledore flicked his wand and all the tables vanished making room for a dance floor. All the teachers moved away from where there table had been and soon a sort of wizard DJ was in there place cranking up the music. Harry, who had only danced one before, didn't do anything. Ron seemed to have the same feeling as Harry so they stood and watched everyone else. Rosalie seemed to enjoy dancing. She was teaching Hermione a dance move, only Hermione wasn't doing to well at it, so they had toppled over in a big heap, laughing. Harry couldn't help laughing too. What was the point of a dance if you didn't dance? He abandoned all sense of pride and joined everyone else on the dance floor followed by Ron who didn't want to be left alone. Harry surprised himself by enjoying it. Fred and George, as always, were the center of attention, dancing widly with their partners. Harry saw Neville was being drag around the hall by a short Hufflepuff girl he had never seen before. Unsurprisingly Malfoy and Pansy Parkins were dancing together, and Crabe and Goyle, the enternal wall flowers, were slummped in a corner. The hall got very warm very quickly with all the moving bodies so the doors were opened and students were allowed on the grounds were there were jack-o-lanterns and a few remaining fountains from last years Yule Ball.   
  
Harry was feeling very hot and sweaty when the first slow song came on. All the students immediently moved towards there partners or suffled off the find someone. Harry looked around for Rosalie but he had lost sight of her. Ron was sitting moodly in a corner staring darkly at Hermione who was dancing, rather awkwardly, Harry thought, with a tall Ravenclaw boy. Harry went over to Ron.   
"Seen Rosalie?" He asked. Ron shook his head, still watching Hermione. "Don't worry," Harry said, "I'm sure there'll be another slow song." Before Ron could reply he hurried off. But, Rosalie was no where to be found. Two songs latter, Harry being hot and tired of people teasing him about looking for Rosalie, went outside. To his surprise he found Rosalie sitting on the edge of a fountain.   
"Rosalie!" he said, "I've been looking for you." As he moved closer to her in the jack-o-lantern light he say that her face was tear strain. He saw her hastily try and whip her tears away.   
"Harry!" She said, failing miserbly at sound bright and cheerful. "I'm sorry, I got hot in there and came out here to sit down." Harry sat down by her. Her eyes were swollen.   
"Don't lie to me." He said gently. "What's the matter?"  
"Nothing's the matter. I got hot." She said hurridly and stood up, turning away, fiddling with the end of a long section of hair. Harry grabbed a piece of her hair and pulled gently, at any other time a dangerous thing to do. Rosalie sat down.   
"What's the matter?" He asked again. Rosalie sighed. "I know something's wrong. You're one heck of an actress but you can't fool me." She looked startled, then sighed again,  
"Harry, oh it's just. Well, you wouldn't under-" She started but her eyes flickered up to the place on Harry's forehead where his scar was barely visible under his messey hair.   
"Well, I suppose you would..." she looked up at the sky, where there was a large yellow moon. She shivered in the breeze.   
"It's halloween." She said. "It was always me and my parents favorite holiday. Every year, except when I was at school, we'd get dressed up as wizards. In California even full grown wizards and witches where 'muggle' clothes. We only wore robes if we were going some where fancy. We didn't even where them at school. Things were more laid back there. Anyways, we'd get all dressed up in our robes, my dad even had some, and I carried my broom stick and we went trick-or-treating. You know, you go from house to house and people give you candy. Everybody in the muggle village loved our costumes. We got tons of candy. And when we got home we had a huge dinner... then we'd go to see the halloween movie at the theater. Our TV never worked well, with mom casting spells. I'd always fall asleep in the middle and my dad'd carry me home-" her voice cracked and a tear rolled down her cheek, she didn't brush it away. "I miss them, Harry, my parents. I miss them so much. It's like I have a hole inside me. A hole that'll never ever get filled. Do you understand?" Harry nodded. "Well, I guess I shouldn't feel to bad. You never even knew your parents."   
"No." Harry said. "People always feel bad for me. You deserve more sympathy. You had two people you really knew taken away from you. I barely even knew my parents." More tears were streaming down Rosalies face, like a waterfall.   
"It's awful, Harry. Sometimes I can hardly stand it. My nightmares, you know, the one you read about in divination, I have it over and over again. Only this time Voldermort was yelling that he didn't want my parents. He wanted me. It's my fault. If it weren't for me they'd be alive." Harry shook his head.   
"Don't say that. You couldn't have known. No one know's what Voldermort wanted." Rosalie ignored him.   
"I hate him. Voldermort." _Rosalie is the only person besides me and Dumbledore I've ever heard say the name._ Harry thought. She was staring straight ahead but didn't seem to be really looking at anything. Her voice was flat.   
"He ruined my life. Not that I don't like Hogwarts or anything. But, I liked what I had. I _loved_ what I had. I loved my parents and my friends. But Voldermort didn't care. He just threw it and them away. Like it was trash." She stopped and turned to Harry. There was a fierce sort of hatred burning in her eyes that startled him.   
"When I first got told my parents had been killed I didn't believe it. They didn't tell me how at first. I thought there had to be a mistake. I just felt so sure it wasn't possible. It was one of those things that happens to other people. Then, they finally told be that he had murdered them. I didn't cry or anything. It was like I was numb. The only thing that ran through my brain was 'I hate him. I'm going to kill him. I hate him I'm going to kill him.' I just thought that over and over again. During the funeral I tought that. At the end of the funeral I cried. I cried for so long and so hard I just collapsed with exaustion. I never said it again. They though I was fine, that I'd just been tramatised. But it was that thought that kept me alive. I thought I was going to die. But I just told myself that I was going to kill him. And I still am. I made that promise to myself. Someday, I will kill him. If I die trying, my ghost will stay here and try to kill him. I won't find peace until he's dead." Harry didn't know what to say. He felt a strange mix of fear ans sympathy for Rosalie. There was so much hatred in her eyes and face that he had to look away. The tears were still flooding unoticed down her cheeks. He understood her feeling though. he silently took her hand and turned back towards her.   
"Rosalie, I'll help you. Someday we'll kill Voldermort together."   
"Thank you, Harry." She said quietly looking at their hands.   
"Just promise me something." he said letting go.   
"What?" She said looking back up at him.   
"Don't go looking for him. I've gotten lucky a few times but Voldermort is way, way stronger than us. We really don't stand a chance. I don't want you to get hurt. Promise me, ok?"   
"Ok. And Harry, promise not to tell anyone?" she said. "Ok." Harry said. He smiled at her but he couldn't quite shake the feeling that she hadn't looked him in the eye. He stood up.   
"Come on." he said trying to sound cheerful. "Let's go dance."   
"Ok. But, I must look a mess."   
"You look great." Harry said, though it was a lie. Her eyes were blotchy. Her face cracked into what Harry knew was a true smile and she turned and splashed some water from the fountain on her face. She stood up and Harry offered her his arm with a bow. She giggled, took it and they went inside.  
*  
~*~ROSALIE'S POINT OF VIEW~*~  
This is going to sound really corny but I'll say it anyways. I've danced with a few boys before. Slow danced that is. But, dancing with Harry was _different_. Hermione, Lavender and Pravati seemed to catch onto my feeling and were busy teasing me as I wrote in my diary.   
"He fancies you OBVIOUSLY." Lavender said rolling her eyes.   
"Definantly!" Agreed Pravati.   
"I told you!" Hermione said smirking. I felt a blush rise in my cheeks. I hardly ever blush.   
"Well, what about your friend?" Lavender said happily, obviously enjoying every minute of this conversation. Hermione went pink.   
"That Ravenclaw boy." Pravati said slyly.   
"Oh. Him."  
"Yes. Him! Who was he?"   
"I dunno. I just said yes cos I didn't have anyone else to dance wtih..." she said uncomfortably.   
"Ron, was looking mighty disapointed there." I said raising an eyebrow at her. Her face was just about the same color as a tomatoe.   
"OH! You fancy _Ron_?!" Lavender squealed. Hermione didn't say anything.   
"I knew it!" Pravati said triumphatly. Hermione face, though it looked impossible, went redder.   
"He likes you." I said, "It's so obvious!"   
"Definantly!" agreed Lavender and Pravati.  
"No he doesn't..." I sighed while Lavender and Pravati tried to convince Hermione that Ron really did like her as more than a good friend. Did Harry really like me?  
*  
~*~HARRY POTTER'S POINT OF VIEW~*~  
I felt slightly numb with shock at the thought of what I had just done. Neville, Dean, Seamus and Ron seemed to get a kick out of it though.   
"Way to go, Romeo!" Ron said slapping me on the back. I glared at him.   
"All we did was _dance_." "The first step!" Dean said.   
"I thought you fancied her." Neville said, who was flushed with his own sucsess. Ron rolled his eyes.   
"He fancies her? That was just about the understatement of the century!" I glowered.   
"What about Hermione? You seemed _pretty_ upset when she was dancing with that Ravenclaw guy." Ron's face turned the color of his hair.   
"I was tired!" He protested.   
"Hah!" Seamus said. Dean and Neville laughed and Ron glared at me.   
"She fancies you too!" Neville said.   
"Yeh. When I'm around you two, there are sparks flying." I said, which wasn't exactly an exageration. I'd always known Ron and Hermione liked each other more than they let on. The conversation pretty much continued the same way for the rest of the night. It'd been a good day. It was only when we decided to sleep that I had time to think about Rosalies, and my conversation by the fountain... As my thought wandered I thought of what I had seen in Dumbledore's Pensive last year. And about Neville's parents. And about all the muggles, the innocent muggles that had been murdered. Voldemort. It all came back to him. I felt a hot surge of anger behind my eyes and in my stomach. I understood where Rosalie was comming from. He had torn about all those families. Ruined all those lives. Voldemort...   
  
A/N  
Gosh, that was a long chapter. Well, this is about oh, halfwayish almostish? No... Well, It's going to be longer than I though it'd be anyways. I know no one really reads it but that's ok! My summer goal is to finish all the fanfics I've started. (except CardCaptor Allison. That one goes on forever. Shesh. Maybe I'll just take it down...) So as always read and review! IT'S A MARY SUE. GET OVER IT.   



	7. The Potions Class From You Know Where

_Complicated_  
Chapter 7: The Potions Class From You Know Where  
By, Rosekeet  
  
_**Somebody else  
'Round everyone else  
Watchin' your back  
Like you can't relax  
Tryin' to be cool  
You look like a fool  
To me  
  
Tell me**_  
  
Dear Harry,  
I'm sorry I haven't written lately but I've been very busy since you saw me last. I'm doing fine and so's Buckbeak. I hope you're well. Anything intresting happening at school? Please fill me in. I'm in need of some cheery news. All the papers are full of is muggle attacks. It seems that Voldemort and the Death Eaters are having some fun. Be careful and if you're making trouble don't get caught.  
-Sirius  
P.S. I'm staying in Hogsmead again. If you'd like next time you visit you can come and see me.  
  
Harry smiled. It had been a long time since he'd heard from Sirius. He also now had an excuse to put away his Defense Against the Dark Arts homework and write back. Harry told Sirius all about the Halloween Dance (except what happened by the fountain) and Rosalie. Harry some how felt that they had grown closer. He also felt that, finally, he had found someone he could really relate too. Someone who'd experienced the same thing as him. Ron and Hermione were nice, but it just wasn't the same. In fact, the more he though about it the more he realized he liked her. But what was he supposed to do? He was pretty sure Rosalie only like him as a good friend...  
~*~  
Potions the next day was accuratly described by Rosalie the next day as "Hell on Earth." The entire class knew that Snape was in a foul mood the minute he swept into the room. They were working on the Pulpos Poison. As it was highly complicated and very difficult they split up into groups of 4. Naturally, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Rosalie, worked together. Hermione imediently took charge and sat each of them to different tasks. Harry chopped roots, Ron ground the newt skins, Rosalie stired the buffaloe bile in the caldrun to a boil and Hermione carefully mixed the squid blood and dragon blood together. Their production was so effecient that Snape, couldn't find anything wrong. Instead, to fill his need to insult them, he took 5 points from Gryffindor because Harry's hair was messy (as it always was) and students "Should always look presentable for class". Rosalie shot him a dirty look and muttered something that sounded like "Satan" under her breath. She still hadn't gotten over the 20 point loss for "messy writing" on her essay. Unfortunantly for her, Snape heard.   
"30 points from Gryffindor for acting disrespectful!" he said and proceed to lecture her about the importance of being respectful. Her face began to get red with anger and she opened her mouth to reply when Harry put a hand on her arm. Rosalie shut her mouth and looked at the floor.  
"10 points from Gryffindor for flirting." Snape said looking at Harry with a nasty smile. "You and Miss Allison need to keep your relationship private." He then swept away. The Slytherins and many of the Gryffindors started to laugh. Harry felt himself flush and Rosalie's face went redder. Ron was fighting an vicious internal battle: laugh at Snapes joke who he despised or tease Harry about Rosalie? He finally decided by trying to hide his laughing and ducking behind the couldron.  
And, then as if things weren't bad enough all ready, they got worse. Poor inoccent Neville was heading towards the student cupboard at the front of the room to get more dried kelp. As always, he was very nervous as this was Snapes class, so he wasn't paying attention to wear he was going. Then Ron chose that moment to get up from behind the couldron. You can imagine what happened next. Neville tripped over Ron and knocked the couldron over spilling the poison. It wouldn't have been as bad if Snape hadn't chosen that moment to come over to yell at Neville. Snape was covered from head to foot in Pulpos Poison. And a Snape covered in Pulpos Poison that was causing him to break out in large boils that popped every few seconds and squirted puss about three feet made the normal Snape seem like a nice, loving, carring person. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Rosalie and Neville were lucky enough so they didn't get splashed. Luckly for the students most of the poison landed on Snape and they had managed to get up on their stools so it didn't touch them. Unfourtuantly it was starting to disolve the legs of the stools. The class gapped in horror, especially Ron, Hermione, Harry and Rosalie.   
"_**SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING!!!!!!!!!!!**_" Snape bellowed. Hermione quickly went into action she brandished her wand and yelled.  
"Cleanios!" The potion on the floor and Snape vanished. However, he was still covered in the pussy boils. Pravati screamed as some of the pus landed on her robes.   
"Some one get Madame Pomfrey and tell her too bring an antidote." Seamus Finnigun who was closeset to the door and looking rather excited ran out. Snapes flashing eyes turned towards Harry, Ron, Hermione and Rosalie.  
"You." He breathed dangerously. "And Longbottom. 200 points from Gryffindor for the lot of you. And Detention! No, make that 2, no 3 detentions a piece! As sure as hell I am going to be speaking with the Headmaster about this! You'll all be suspened at the very least if I can help it." Snape stood there looking all the more scary covered in puss and boils. Luckily for them, Seamus ran in followed by Madame Pomfrey. Then the bell rang. The foursome high-tailed it out of the dungon as fast as they could go.   
  
"3 dentions..." Hermione moaned as they walked up the stairs.  
"Yeh... that's my 7th one in two months..." Rosalie said. "I must have set some kind of record." Hermione opened her mouth, most likely to say what the record was when they were greated by the lazy drawl of Draco Malfoy.  
"Hullo... I see the lovebirds are out for a stroll... Looking for a chance to ditch Weasly and Granger?" Rosalie her face getting redder by the second walked up to Malfoy, prodding her wand at his chest.  
"Malfoy, I'm not in the mood to take any of your crap right now!"   
"Why? Sorry, Snape found out about your boyfriend?"   
"Don't make me curse you..."   
"Not that you could if you tried." he said.  
"What are you talking about?" Rosalie said her eyes flashing strangly.  
"You know what I'm talking about. I know you've been having to do extra homework in Charms, and Transfiguration."  
"That's none of your business." She spat.  
"Saw you practicing in an empty room yesterday."  
"Spying on me Malfoy? And so what if I've been practicing? It's paid off, hasn't it guys?" They nodded in agreement, and it wasn't a lie. Malfoy ignored this.  
"Not real adapt at magic are you Allison?" Harry could stand it no longer.  
"See here Malfoy," he said pointing his own wand at Malfoy. "It's none of your business if Rosalie has extra homework or not."  
"Yes, and niether is our relationship." Rosalie piped up.  
"Defending her are we Potter? Defending your little girlfriend who's almost a squ-"  
"Potter! Allison! Malfoy! Granger! Weasly! Move along!" yelled Proffeser Sprout as she huffed down to the dungeons. Malfoy walked slowly away a infuriation smirk on his face.   
"I hate him." Rosalie said angerly, steam practically comming from her ears.  
"He did ask a ligitimate question though." Ron said.  
"Which was?" Harry asked.  
"What is your and Rosalie's relationship anyways?" Harry and Rosalie shot such looks at Ron that he ran off yelling over his shoulder,  
"Left my transfiguration book in the dorm!"   
"I'll go too!" Hermione said. Harry didn't protest. He and Rosalie walked together in silence but he could help wondering the same thing...what was their relationship?  



	8. A Visit to Hogsmead

_Complicated_   
Chapter 8: A visit to Hogsmead   
By, Rosekeet   
A/N: I'm working really hard to finish this fic, not that any one cares cos no one ever reads it but still. I'm trying to figure out why some stories have so many reviews and they are just as good as and or worse than mine? What is with that? Ok. Whatever. Review please   
  
_**Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?  
I see the way you're   
Acting like you're somebody else gets me frustrated  
Life's like this, you  
And you fall and you crawl  
And you break and you take  
What you get and you turn it into  
Honesty Promise me   
I'm never gonna find you fake it  
  
No, no, no...**_  
  
_Dear Sirius,   
  
There is a Hogsmead trip scheduled for next Saturday. We'd like to come and visit you, but I've got a problem. You know my friend, Rosalie Allison? Well, she's never been to Hogsmead and I can't exactly ditch her. Any suggestions?   
  
-Harry_   
  
~*~   
  
_ Dear Harry,   
  
Rosalie Allison, eh? Why don't you bring her along? I knew her mother at school. We were friendly with each other. And she was in the US when I was sent to Azkaban. She shouldn't be too freaked out. Anyway, I know a bit about her parents murder. She'd probably be intrested. Also, don't freak out around her. Even if she doesn't like you that way (yes, I know. I'm not stupid.) she'd probably be flatered. Just play it cool. Excuse the cliche. See you soon.   
  
-Sirius_   
Harry smiled and shook his head. He handed the letter to Ron, and saw him grin. Ron passed it to Hermione and she read it also smiling. Harry would bet his broomstick that she was thinking "I knew it."   
"What's that?" Rosalie asked looking up from where she was doing her extra transfiguration homework with Hermione. Malfoy hadn't been lying when he said she had extra. It was really giving her problems. And she wasn't the only one. Hermione of all people was the only other one to get extra homework. And to all of their surprise it was Ron who was assigned to help them. Ron had a certain knack for Transfiguration that had never shown up before. Hermione had taken it as a personal insult when McGonagall had told him to help her as it was usually the other way around. Ron couldn't resist gloating a bit, which infuriated Hermione even more. Rosalie didn't mind too much as Ron _was_ helping. But after a couple days he laid off. Harry strongly suspected that, it was because he was trying to be nice to her as of his "feelings".   
"Nothing." Harry replied to Rosalie taking the letter. "But I've got something to ask you. Promise not to freak?"   
"Ok."   
  
~*~ < br>br> "I can't believe I get to meet a murderer!" Rosalie said excitedly hugging herself against the wind. It was one of those November days where it was too warm to where a cloak but too cold to go without one.   
"He's not a murderer, Rosalie." Harry said shaking his head. "He's innocent."  
"Oh, I know that." She said happily, "But still!" The foursome carefully made there way up the rocky slope till they reached the cave, where a fimilar black dog greeted them.   
"Hullo Sirius!" Harry said smiling. The dog transformed and a tired but smiling Sirius sat in his place. Sirius was looking better from when he had last seen him, though he still looked as though it wouldn't hurt him to gain a few pounds.   
"Hello!" he said.   
"Sirius, This is Rosalie Allison."   
"Rosalie, this is my godfather Sirius Black."   
"Nice to meet you Mr. Black." Rosalie said polietly with a smile. "You can call me Sirius." he said shaking her hand. "You look quite a bit like your mother. I knew her at school. She was a year a head of me."   
"Lot's of people say, or said rather, that." Rosalie said as she took a seat next between Harry and Hermione. There was a silence before Harry spoke.   
"How've you been?"   
"Well, I can't say I've been great because I haven't." Sirius said running a hand through his hair which had been cut short. "There's a lot going on. Dumbledore kept me busy this summer and what with all the muggle attacks going on... And things are pretty much mayham at the Ministry. Many people have quit, because they're worried the Dark Lord is back."   
"What is he think he's doing though?" Ron asked shaking his head. "Killing muggles? Isn't that a waste of time?"   
"That's what I want to know." Sirius said thoughtfully. "I mean, most of the muggle killings that went on back before The Dark Lords fall were just for fun. But they weren't in this proportion. Just one or two here and there. Nothing to create a lot of suspecion among the muggles. But know... they're going on about terrorism in the states and rebellion here."   
"There's a reason he's doing it." Rosalie said mater-of-factly. "I've said it before and I'll say it agian, just because he's evil doesn't mean he's stupid."   
"Rosalie's right. Something's up. Something's going to happen."   
"But what?" Hermione said sounding worried.   
"That's just the thing Hermione. What? Some are talking about killing you, Harry." he wasn't surprised. "Others say he's after someone else. A few say he's practicing- honing his skills. Some don't believe he's back. Say the muggles are on target. But a few, myself, Dumbledore and Snape included think that they're creating a diversion."   
"But for what?" Ron asked.   
"Don't know..." Sirius said shaking his head.   
"The Liberation of Azkaban." Harry said quietly. "Voldermort metioned it when... well you know..." No one said anything. Harry assumed that Ron and Hermione had filled her in on the incidents of the previous year. As well as the years before that.   
"That makes sense." Sirius said.   
"Those dementors...." Rosalie said shivering. "They seem like the kinds of things that would help him."   
"That's what he said." Harry murmured with an involuntary shudder.   
"They were a big scandle in the States. The US Ministry wouldn't let them gaurd the prisons. I only think there are a few living there. If they caught a Dark Wizard there, which wasn't very often they killed them. Muggle style. You know, lethal injection."   
"I think at this time that might be the way to go." Sirius said shaking his head.  
"Most of them diserve to die after all the people they killed and lives they ruined." Harry said bitterly. Sirius nodded, looking sad.  
"And the village this summer." he said quietly. "Where your parents were killed." Rosalie didn't say anything. "Mass Murder. I was there. The night it happened. I left only a few hours before. Then I got the news. Ran back as fast as I can. Nothing. It was flat. Bodys, blood and guts everywhere. Of all the things I've seen that was one of the worst. Most of them where killed with Advra Kadavra. There eyes were open and staring. And there were some killed by falling rubble."   
"You, you didn't see my parents did you?" Rosalie said. Her face looked placid but her eyes showed everything. Sirius didn't look her in the eye.   
"I though I saw a woment that looked familiar and a man was lying next to her, but I don't know. It's possible. I saw more bodies than I care to remember that night." Rosalie didn't say anything in response.   
"The thing is," Sirius continued, "we don't know why they did it. I've heard the rummors about them being after your parents." He said to Rosalie. She nodded.  
"That's part of the reason I left the states. Death threats pouring in like nobody's business." "That's bull in my opinion. Your mother was a good witch. I know she'd never turn to the Dark side and that's why he murderd some but I don't see why she'd have any dealings with him at all. I mean, she was good at magic but not escpecially talented. It's all very strange. Shrouded in mystery."   
"Fog." Rosalie muttered.   
"What?"   
"Fog. It's like eveywhere he goes he leaves a cloud of fog around what he just did. He doesn't want to be seen." No one said anything. Harry watched as Rosalie wiped her eyes.   
"You better get going." Sirius said. "I don't want suspicion." They all nodded and rose to exit.   
"Harry, I'm even more serious than I was last year when I said that I don't want you wandering around. Things are getting worse each day. Be careful. That goes for all of you." They nodded and said good by climbing silently down the slope. They walked in silence.   
"Let's go for a butterbeer at the Three Broomsticks." Hermione suggested obviously trying to lighten the mood.   
"What's butterbeer?" Rosalie asked.   
"You'll love it." Ron said as he grabbed a table and Harry went to order drinks.   
*   
They made small talk while drinking their butterbeer, but quickly quieted when a two voices caught their attention.   
"Sondra," Snape said "You know as well as I do that things are getting bad."  
"Of course I do, Severus." She snapped back. Ron looked revolted. Snape and Ellard on first name basis? "But what can we do? We've done everything?"   
"It's burning black." He hissed "It has been all month. Something is going to happen."  
"I know that." Miss Ellard said moodily. "But what can we do? Nothing. We don't have any inside information. And that's what we need." Harry signaled to the other three that they should leave. After there ban run-in with Snape the other week it would be a bad idea to get caught eaves dropping.  
"What are Ellard and Snape doing on a first name terms?" Ron said as they stepped outside. Harry shook his head, along with Hermione.  
"He was a death eater wasn't he?" Rosalie asked. Harry, Hermione and Ron looked surprised. "He said 'it burns black.' All death eaters have the dark mark on their forearms."  
"We know that, but how do you?" Harry asked.  
"I read about it, once." She said and looked up into the sky. It had suddenly gone very bitterly cold. "I've got a funny feeling in my gut that Ellard once was too."  
"What?!" Ron said. "Impossible!"  
"It's not." Harry said. "Dumbledore hired Snape, why would he hire another one who'd gone good?"  
"I said it was only a feeling" Rosalie said. "Just a funny, unexplained feeling." They all walked quietly off and a light snow began to fall.  



	9. Dobby: A Good Way NOT To Get a Girl

_Complicated_   
Chapter 9: Dobby: A Good Way Not to Get a Girl  
By, Rosekeet  
A/N: I know that no ones reads this fic but it is my goal to finish alls started fics. But, if you read this, god bless you.  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters and titles belong to JK Rowling.  
Dedicated to: Anyone who reads this  
PG for mild language, mild sensuality, thematic elements, and fantasy type violence  
  
_**Chill out   
What you yellin' for?  
Lay back, it's all been done before  
And if you could only let it be   
You will see**_  
  
The snow that had started falling in Hogsmead and quickly melted and turned into thick slush. The weather was cold and windy. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Rosalie hadn't talked about their conversation with Sirius but they were all thinking about it. Harry was worried about his god father in the cold weather so he sent him one of the thick wool blankets the house elves but on all the beds when it snowed. He also continued his practice of sending weekly packages of food. He was also being very careful not to break any rules and to study hard. Between studying and Quidditch practice Harry was always exhausted. Rosalie had more homework to do and she went to Quidditch with him. Yet, still she found time to practice her violin. The sound of violin music and the sight of Rosalie peering intently at hovering piece of music became familiar things to the students of Gryffindor.   
Even when Harry had finished his homework and he was exhausted he often stayed up and listened to Rosalie playing. It really was extraordinary. The more he heard her the more he wished that he had learned to play an instrument. He could read a bit of music and play Mary had a little lamb on the recorder but that was about it.   
"Harry," Rosalie said Friday evening laying her violin down in her lap. "Would you like to learn to play?"  
"Huh?" He said stupidly.  
"Learn to play the violin!" She said again.  
"Sure, I would."  
"Great! I'll teach you if you want."  
"Huh?"  
"Having blonde moments Harry? I'll teach you. It'll be easy. We can transfigure something into a violin for you. I'm getting much better at transfiguration. Ron isn't that bad of a teacher. So, how about it?"  
"Sure, I guess. When do we start?"  
"How about right now?" She said and pointed her wand at a piece of paper and a pencil muttering under her breath. In a few seconds a rather battered looking violin and a bow with the hairs coming out lay in their place. She grinned at her success.  
"Hopefully that wasn't anyone's homework." She said with a smile at Harry as he picked them up. "Sit down. Accio Chair! Now, it's not the greatest violin but it'll do. Now hold it like this..."  
*  
As Seamus Finigin climbed through the portrait hole a horrible sound grated his ears. A sound he always dreaded hearing. The sound of a banshee. It couldn't be... could it? He listened a moment longer. Yes. Defiantly a banshee. His heart pounded as he ran down the hall screaming  
"BANSHEE IN THE COMMON ROOM! BANSHEE IN THE COMMON ROOM!"  
*  
"What in tarnation is going on in here?" Professor McGonagall raged as she pounded into the common room. It was dead silence. "Finigin was running down the halls screaming about a banshee in the common room. He's practically hyperventilating. Explain." Her eyes glinted dangerously. Harry and Rosalie looked at each other. All the Gryffindors exchanged looks. Suddenly Fred Weasley started laughing.   
"What is so funny Mr. Weasley?" McGonagall asked.  
"It's Harry! Harry's the banshee!" He was practically rolling on the floor with laughter.  
"Potter?" McGonagall said turning to him.  
"I don't know Professor."  
"What are you two doing anyway?"  
"I'm teaching Harry the violin ma'am." Rosalie said. Suddenly everyone in the common room understood and started cracking up. (A/N: anyone who's ever heard a beginning violinist will understand) Harry blushed. Slowly the laughter subsided.  
"Since when does Hogwarts have an orchestra?" McGonagall said dangerously at the two of them.  
"It doesn't." Rosalie said. "That's why I have to practice. And Harry wanted to learn. It's sad they don't teach music here. There is nothing in the rules against it, ma'am."  
"I'll check on that. Until then, no violin playing!" She stormed away.  
***  
"Really Harry, all beginning violinists sound like that." Rosalie tried to insist in the locker room as the Gryffindor Quidditch team suited up for the first match. Gryffindor VS Hufflepuff. It would have been Slytherin but the "seeker had a bad cold" so they'd rescheduled. But, Harry knew it was just so that they could size them up.  
"Like banshees?"  
"Yes. You did good." She said.  
"You're a horrible liar."  
"I know. I know. But, hey, you aren't supposed to sound good when you first start. It's like a law, or something." Harry sighed.  
"If you say so." He glanced Rosalie up and down. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a tight French-plait. The red Quidditch robes looked very attractive   
on her Harry thought. She looked a bit jittery.  
"Nervous?"  
"A little bit." She admitted. Harry whistled.   
"Ok, team. I'm not one for pep talks, like Wood was." The entire team started clapping. Harry grinned. "But anyways. Just because Hufflepuff is usually a pushover doesn't mean we should get lazy. Be alert and careful of the winds. Ready? Let's go." The entire team trooped onto the pitch. The wind was biting cold and whipped Harry's hair around. Dark clouds were storming in the sky looking as if they desperately wanted to start spewing their rain upon them. Colin Creevy looked awful. His face was a nasty shade of green and he was practically swimming in his robes. He tripped over them and the stadium started laughing. Rosalie helped him up.   
"Relax, Colin. You're a great keeper. Just try to forget the spectators."   
"Thanks Rosalie." He said gripping his broom tightly. Harry felt the familiar nervousness of a Quidditch game in the pit of this stomach, but he knew that once he was on his broom it would pass.   
"Shake hands." Madame Hooch instructed Harry and the Hufflepuff captain, Peter Hillock. Harry did with a small smile.   
"Mount your brooms." Harry could see Rosalie shaking slightly as she mounted her American made broom.   
"On my whistle. One, Two, TWWWWWWWWWWWEEEEEEET!" Harry kicked off and felt the cold wind rushing through his hair and all the nerves leaving his body. He was a wear he belonged: in the air. Angelina had the quaffle and Rosalie was streaking below her. _Keep your mind on the Snitch, Harry._ he told himself silently. That was the advice Sirius had given him in his last letter. Look for the Snitch not at the team. He soared up ward and began scanning everywhere. Dick Mockery, the new Hufflepuff chaser, was down far below. Katie had scored. Rosalie had the Quaffle and was zooming upwards. She quickly tossed it to Angelina who streaked down towards their own side of the field. She stopped abruptly and tossed it back to Rosalie who headed as fast as she could the other way, confusing the Hufflepuff chasers. She shot, but the keeper blocked it and threw it to the other chasers. Colin blocked the shot and threw it to Katie.   
"Way to go Colin!" Harry said as he streaked by him, still looking.  
"Katie has the Quaffle..." Lee Jordan said, starting his usual comentary with McGonagall standing like a hawk behind him. The game proceeded well. Gryffindor was up by 50 points and the chasers were at their prime. Rosalie had improved tremendously since they first started. As she had never really played on a team before she wasn't as good as Katie or Angelina. Then, suddenly Harry saw it a flash of gold way above him. He urged his broom forward and shot up like a rocket shooting through the Hufflepuff chasers.  
"And Potters seen the snitch!" The Hufflepuff seekers started after it, but Harry had the lead, and the better broom. Rosalie scored one last time. Harry reached out his hand and felt the cold feeling of metal on his hand and the beating of its tiny wings.  
"POTTERS GOT THE SNITCH! Big surprise there. Mockery is no match for Potter, and he doesn't nearly come close to the skills of Diggory-"  
"Jordan..."  
"Sorry. AND GRYFFINDOR WINS WITH 280 POINTS!" The noise from the Gryffindors was deafening as Harry landed on the pitch and held up the snitch, happiness flooding through him. The rest of the team landed near him and started hugging him furiously.   
"You did it!" Rosalie yelled as she hugged him tightly. Harry felt his cheeks go pink.   
***  
The Gryffindors threw a big party in the common room that night. Fred and George supplying the food as usual. All the Quidditch players were beaming and everybody had a fantastic time.   
"Let's see Slytherin top that!" George said.  
"They'll try." Hermione pointed out.  
"We can beat them!" Rosalie said as she shoved a cookie into her mouth grinning. Harry felt his heart do an odd skip-beat.  
***  
A week latter, after the full of the victory had worn off Rosalie went to see McGonagall about her violin. Harry had just finished his transfiguration homework as she left through the portrait hole. He was feeling rather hungry, he noticed. Ron and Hermione were bickering about something so they wouldn't miss him. _I think I'll grab the invisibility cloak and catch Rosalie to see if she wants to go down to the kitchen with me._ He thought as he got up.  
*  
"Professor, I was wondering, am I aloud to play my violin?" She asked nervously.  
"I asked the headmaster and he said you could. He said it was wonderful that there was a witch with musical talent."  
"And-" "And yes, you can continue teaching Mr. Potter if you so desire."  
"Thanks Professor."  
"Good night." Rosalie smiled as she walked down the hall towards Gryffindor tower. She couldn't wait to tell Harry! Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. She screamed. She heard familiar laughing.  
"HARRY!" She said spinning around but no one was there. Suddenly, out of no where he appeared.   
"I got you."  
"You practically gave me a heart attack, you dumb arse!" She said with a scowl, but her eyes were smiling. "How'd you do that?"  
"My invisibility cloak. I was going to go down to the kitchens. Wanna come?" "Sure. Will it cover both of us?"  
"I'm pretty sure it will." Rosalie moved next to Harry and he swung the cloak over them, carefully arranging the folds of it. There was plenty of room for the both of them in the cloak. Harry carefully arranged the folds so it covered there feet. Rosalie moved behind him and they started walking slowly towards the kitchens.  
*  
"HARRY POTTER!" A familiar house-elf squealed. Harry barely had enough time to prepare himself as Dobby came hurtling towards him to hug him ferociously around the middle. "Dobby is so glad to see you sir!"   
"Glad to see you too Dobby." Harry gasped out.   
"Who's this?" Rosalie asked curiously staring wide eyed at Dobby. Harry guessed she had never seen a house elf.   
"This is Dobby." Harry said. "He's one of the Hogwarts house elves." He said gesturing to the sea of bobbing little creatures.  
"Hi." Rosalie said with a wave.  
"Are you a friend of Harry Potter?" Dobby asked staring at her.  
"Yes. Are you?" Dobby's eyes welled up with tears.  
"Dobby is proud to say that he is a friend of Harry Potters, miss!" Rosalie grinned and Harry looked embarrassed.  
"Well, so am I."  
"Can I get you anything to eat or drink, sir and miss?" A prim female house elf said giving Dobby a dirty look.   
"Um. Sure." Harry said. "What do you want?"  
"Well, I'd really like a coke, but I doubt they have that so, how about some butterbeer? Is that ok?"  
"Yes, miss. And you sir?"  
"I'll have a butterbeer too, and how bout some cookies?" The house elf bobbed a curtsey and scurried away. Dobby lead them to a low table with three chairs.  
"Dobby, where's Winky?" Harry asked him as they sat down. "Another house elf. I'll explain latter." Harry told Rosalie. Dobby frowned.  
"Winky hasn't been herself since last year, Harry Potter. Winky is very disturbed. She is at Saint Mungos." Harry raised an eyebrow.  
"Really?"  
"Yes, sir. When a house elf um... goes insane, Harry Potter, they go to work at Saint Mungos."   
"I'm sorry." Dobby shook his head, ears flopping.  
"It's all right, sir. Winky couldn't stand life as a free elf. She'll be happier there." Harry nodded and bit into a cookie brought by the elves. Rosalie grabbed her own cookie and took a swig of butterbeer.   
"Free elf?"  
"House elves are enslaved, miss, until their master gives them clothes."  
"That's awful!"  
"Tell that too Hermione. She might decide to start up S.P.E.W again."  
"Spew?"  
"The Society for the Protection of Elfish Welfare." Rosalie made a face. Harry laughed. "That just about covers it."  
~*~ "So, that's where Fred and George get all the food." Rosalie whispered to Harry as they made their way back to the common room.  
"Yeah. It's pretty easy. They practically beg to give you stuff."  
"I'd never seen house elves before."  
"Didn't they have them in the states?"  
"Dunno. I never saw them. Fairy berry cheery." The portrait hole swung open and they climbed in, Harry taking off the cloak.   
"Well, good night."  
"Night. Thanks Harry. That was fun." He blushed.  
"Anytime." He made his way up to the dormitory earning a grin from Ron.  
"So..."  
"So what?"  
"Any luck?" Harry glared.   
"I don't know what you're talking about."  
"Denial mate. You are in denial."  
~*~  
Rosalie made her way up to the girls' dormitory but she didn't go to bed. She had better plans. Harry's cloak had given her a brilliant idea.  
~*~  
Harry woke up the next morning to sun streaming in the window. He pulled back the curtains of his four posters. He gawped. The contents of his trunk were spewed all about the room. He got out of bed and started picking everything up and put it away. There was something missing. His invisibility cloak.   



	10. Trewlany's Prediction

_Complicated_  
Chapter 10: Trewlany's Prediction  
By, Rosekeet  
A/N: I will finish this fic! I will!  
Rated PG for mild language, fantasy type violence, thematic elements and sensuality  
Dedicated to: Mary Sue! YEAH!   
  
_**Somebody else  
'Round everyone else  
You're watchin' your back  
Like you can't relax  
You're tryin' to be cool  
You look like a fool   
To me, to me  
**_  
  
"Someone stole your cloak?" Hermione said in amazement and shock at breakfast. Harry nodded and took a bite of oatmeal, though he wasn't hungry.  
"Woke up and my stuff was scattered everywhere. Everything was there but the cloak."  
"That's awful!" she said.  
"Why would anybody do that?" Ron said reading looking up from the latest issue of the Daily Prophet; there had been more muggle killings.  
"The question isn't why, it's who." Rosalie said taking a bite of bacon.  
"Rosalie's right." Hermione said. "It's obvious why someone would steal it." At Ron's blank look she added. "It's an invisibility. It turns you invisible."  
"I know that!" Ron snapped. Hermione opened her mouth to reply but Harry held up a hand.  
"Not know. Ugh. I'm just a magnet for this kind of stuff, aren't I?"  
"Sure seems like it." Ron agreed. Harry was thinking about second year when Ginny had stolen Riddle's diary. Harry looked over to where she was sitting laughing with Colin Creevy, who had gotten very popular with girls since the Quidditch match.  
"The question is, who knows about the cloak?" Rosalie said.  
"Well, all of you, Dumbledore, Sirius, Lupin, Crouch Jr, but, well, you know, and Snape." They all looked at each other.  
"Snape!" Ron hissed. "It's got to be him."   
"Ron, you're just saying that because you hate him." Hermione insisted.  
"So?" "But, it makes sense." Harry but in.  
"Yeah. Remember him and Ellard at the pub in Hogsmead?" Rosalie said. Even Hermione couldn't argue there.  
"You don't think Ellard was a Death eater do you?" Hermione whispered worridly.  
"I'd bet more than a couple gallons on it." Harry said.   
"But, Snape, he's supposed to be loyal to us." Hermione protested. Harry chewed his lip. It was true. He still hated Snape, but he didn't really believe he was still a death eater. He remembered what Dumbledore had told him, _Professor Snape is working with us at great personal risk._ Could they really trust Snape?  
"Can we really trust him?" Rosalie said voicing Harry's thoughts. "I mean, no one can hate a bunch of teenagers as much as he hates us and not be just a bit untrustworthy."  
"Excellent point." Ron said glaring at Hermione, who glared right back. The bell rang. Ron, Rosalie, and Harry said good-bye to Hermione and made their way up to divination.  
~*~  
"Good day, my dears." Trewlany said mournfully. Harry saw Rosalie roll her eyes in disgust. "We have finished our unit on the interpretation of Dreams. We are going to start learning to predict a persons own future just by looking at them."  
"This should be fun." Ron said sarcastically. "How much you wanna bet you're going to die?"  
"Take Mr. Potter, here." Trewlany said pointing at him. "I can tell by his scar, and brave façade that he will die a painful, sorrowful death." Ron grinned at Harry who sighed.   
"And Ms Patil. I can tell by her lovely looks and hopeful expression that her heart will be broken very soon." Parvati and Lavender gasped.  
"No!" Parvati wailed. She was currently dating a handsome Hufflepuff.  
"I am sorry dear."   
"And, Ms Allison." Trewlany turned to stare at Rosalie who's face remained impassive. She stared at her for a long time, but not at her face. Her gaze was aimed at the little silver pocket watch that hung from a chain about her neck. "I have seen that the clock you wear will give you trouble, dear." She whispered. The room was silent. Rosalie's eyes got wide. "Much, much trouble. I see heartache, and tears in your future, and lies and deceit, but not done too you, but done by you. I see sorrow and sadness, and a painful good bye. A miserable good bye." Harry was staring at Rosalie who had turned a deathly pale and whose eyes were as wide as saucers. Trewlany's predictions had never unnerved her before, why now?   
"I don't believe, you...?" She whispered, but it sounded more like a question than a statement.   
"I am sorry." Trewlany said and moved to touch her arm. Rosalie backed away and Trewlany moved on. Harry reached over and touched her hand. Rosalie turned to look at him, her eyes full of tears. She turned her gaze down. Harry gripped her hand. _What's the matter?_ he wondered. Her prediction had been no worse than any of the others'. Harry looked at Ron. Even he looked a bit weirded out by Rosalie's reaction. Harry dropped her hand and looked at her face, which was now completely neutral. You could see no sign that she had ever been upset. Harry was amazed at her. _She could be lying about everything to us and we wouldn't be able to tell._ He thought, and he felt a bit in awe of her. Yet, her reaction had been real.  
Rosalie was quiet and reserved the rest of the day. She showed no sign that it was Trewlany that had upset her but Harry and Ron knew that was it. She went to bed early, saying she was tired which Harry partially believed. She had bags under her eyes.   
Harry went to bed wondering about her. He just couldn't figure her out! She was a great person: funny, pretty, smart, fun. But there was just something- off almost; something he couldn't put his finger on. He rolled over. He was probably imagining things.  
When he woke up in the morning he found his invisibility cloak at the foot of his bed. 


	11. Amazing Grace

_Complicated_  
Chapter 11: Amazing Grace   
By, Rosekeet  
A/N: I write Mary Sues get over it. I write CORNY Mary Sues. I'm proud! I AM NOT ASHAMED!  
PG for mild language, fantasy type violence, thematic elements, and sensuality  
Dedicated to: All Mary Sue authors  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters and titles belong to J.K. Rowling  
  
  
_** Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?  
I see the way you're  
Acting like you're somebody else gets me frustrated  
Life's like this, you  
And you fall and you crawl  
And you break and you take  
What you get and you turn it into  
Honesty Promise me I'm never gonna find you fake it  
  
No, no**_  
  
December dawned with bitter cold winds and blizzards. Half the time the snow was so deep that they couldn't make it to the greenhouses or to care of magical creatures so those classes were canceled, leaving Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Rosalie with some free time, which was helpful considering Ellard was piling on the DADA work. Rosalie didn't seem to mind this. Defense against he dark arts was her favorite subject. And as Ellard had given them all passes to use the restricted section of the library, Rosalie was spending about as much time as Hermione there. And as Rosalie was spending a lot of time there, so was Harry and as Hermione was spending a lot of time there so was Ron.  
Rosalie came back to the common room each evening with armfuls of restricted books. Some of them with very unpleasant titles such as: _1001 Ways to Kill People_; _The Most Painful Curses of all Time_; and _The Advantages of Killing Slowly_.   
"They're all so gory, Rosalie!" Hermione said making a face.  
"It's for my essay."  
"You finished it 2 weeks ago!"   
"I'm thinking of revamping it."  
"Why?" Hermione insisted.  
"I can make it better."  
"You must be catching, Hermione." Ron said with a grin. Hermione scowled. It was true; Rosalie had finished her essay weeks ago, yet she was still pouring through the restricted books. It was if she was magnetically attracted to them. Harry guessed it had something to do with her parents but he never asked.  
~*~  
Both Ron (who's parents insisted that he come home this year) and Hermione were going away for Christmas, meaning Harry and Rosalie would basically have the run of Gryffindor tower, excluding a couple of 1st years. Harry and Rosalie gave Ron and Hermione their presents before they left.  
"Wow, Hermione." Ron said. He was holding a book titled _Quidditch Teams of Europe_. "How'd you get it? It's not supposed to be out until next year!"  
"Let's just say I pulled a few strings." Hermione said, looking a bit embarrassed.  
"Wow." He said again. "Thanks!"  
"You're welcome." Hermione mumbled.  
"Yeah, show up me and Harry's presents!" Rosalie said with a laugh. Rosalie had gotten him an economy size bag of dung bombs and Harry had given him a couple of Chudly Cannon's posters that he suspected Ron didn't have. Hermione tore the wrapping of Ron's gift to her. It was thick, red leather bound book of blank pages. There was a large heart with wings on the cover.   
"I though you could use it for notes or something, like that." Ron said, ears pink.   
"Yes! I've been needing something like this. It's beautiful Ron." Hermione said smiling. Ron's ears looked like their very own heat source. Harry and Rosalie exchanged glances and smothered their laughter.   
"You're next Harry." Rosalie said, handing him a package. Harry ripped open the shiny gold paper. He opened the box and found 2 books for "Beginning Violinists."   
"I though we could continue our lessons over the break." She said.  
"Great! I'd never be able to play what you do!" Harry took the books out and underneath found about 5 Mars bars.  
"Mars bars! I haven't' had one of them in ages!" He exclaimed.  
"I think I remembered you saying they were you're favorite. I got my aunt to send me some."   
"I love these things!" Harry said ripping open the wrapper of one and taking a huge bite. Rosalie laughed.   
"You're easy to buy for!"  
"Anybody want some?"  
"No thanks." Rosalie said.   
"I've never liked them." Hermione said.  
"I'll try a little bit. I've never had muggle candy." Ron said, looking curiously at it. "Say! This ain't bad." Harry finished his candy bar and handed Rosalie a small box.   
"On a budget this year Harry?" Ron joked.  
"Good things come in small packages." Hermione insisted. Ron rolled his eyes. Rosalie undid the little silver ribbon around the box and opened the lid.   
"Oh!" She exclaimed and lifted out two perfect miniature rose buds, which were earrings. "They're beautiful!"   
"Blow on them." Harry told her, starting on another Mars bar, forcing himself not to blush.  
"Blow on them?" He nodded. She did. Slowly they opened until they were in full bloom.   
"Amazing." Hermione said. "How do they work?"  
"Magic." Harry said and Hermione rolled her eyes. Ron looked confused.  
"Muggle joke." Rosalie said as she carefully put the earrings on.   
~*~  
"Good bye!" Rosalie said as she hugged Hermione. "Have a Merry Christmas!"   
"Bye!" Ron said.   
"Have 'fun' you two!" Hermione said with a smirk. Rosalie hit Hermione in the back of the head.  
"You pervert!"   
"I guess we've finally rubbed off on you." Ron said grinning and Hermione grinned back at him.   
"Guess, so. Bye!" They waved as the carriages took them to Hogsmead station.  
"So." Harry said turning to Rosalie. She was wearing the earrings.  
"So." She said smiling at him.  
"Well, Gryffindor Tower's pretty much ours, what do you want to do?"  
"Dunno..."  
"How about a violin lesson?"   
"All right."  
~*~  
Christmas Morning dawned cold, and overcast. But that couldn't damper the spirits of those still at Hogwarts.   
"Merry Christmas!" Rosalie cried with a grin as she threw back the curtains of Harry's four poster.   
"Wha?" He said, sleepily, squinting.  
"It's Christmas, silly!" She said sitting down on Ron's bed.   
"Oh!" He said sitting up and putting his glasses on.  
"I didn't want to open presents by myself." She said.   
"Fine by me." Harry said climbing out of bed to find a small pile of gifts at the end of his bed. Rosalie was dressed in a pair of purple pajamas and a pink bathrobe and matching slippers. She sat down next to him and grabbed the first package.   
"To Rosalie from Mrs. Weasley." She read. "Ron's mother?"  
"Yeah. He must have written to her about you." He said grabbing his own Weasley package. They ripped the wrapping opened. Harry found an emerald green sweater with a large golden snitch on the front. Rosalie's was pink with a white Rose in the middle.  
"That was nice of her." She said taking off her robe and pulling the sweater on. Harry also found a package of fudge from Hagrid and _The Large Book of Rule Breaking_ from Sirius. Rosalie had gotten several pairs of pants, and 2 shirts and a hair brush the styled your hair for you from her aunt, a box of bath products from one of her friends in the states and a CD. Harry supposed that it was from one of her Muggle friends. At the moment she was starring at the cover of a leather bound book.  
"You ok?" He asked.   
"Yeah. Fine." She said gathering her gifts up. "I'm going to get dressed. I'll meet you in the common room, ok?"   
"Sure." He said wondering what was the matter.  
*  
Rosalie came down to the common room in a pair of jeans, Mrs. Wealsey's sweater and the earrings Harry had given her. They had breakfast in the great hall at the one table that had been set up and spent the first half of the morning playing Wizards chess (Rosalie was just as horrible as Harry) they then went out and had a snowball fight with the other remaining students and got thoroughly soaked. Christmas dinner was just as good as it had always been. Harry got a brand new deck of exploding snap cards and Rosalie got a bag of Cannery Creams.  
"Curtsey of Fred and George, no doubt." Harry said taking a huge bite of mashed potatoes. Everyone was having and excellent time. Harry and Rosalie were both delighted that Malfoy had decided to go home this year and that Trewlany had decided to stay in her tower. When every body was almost finished with dinner Dumbledore said,  
"I understand we have a person with musical talent at the table. Would you care to play for us, Ms. Allison?"  
"S-sure Professor, if you want me too..." She stammered looking surprised.   
"Of course!" He said smiling. Harry thought his face had grown more wrinkled. Rosalie took her wand out and muttered,   
"Accio Violin." Nothing happened. She tried again and her violin case came speeding towards her. She smiled and looked relieved. Harry watched her as she opened the case and took out the beautiful instrument. She always kept it perfectly polished. She carefully tightened the bow and stood up. She licked her lips and began to play Jingle Bells. Everybody smiled and began to sing along. She then played Rudolf the Red-nose reindeer, Hark the Harold Angles Sing and O' Christmas tree. She paused for a few minutes before starting to play again. It was slow this time. It took Harry a few minutes to recognize it. It was What Child is this? Harry remembered Dudly butchering it at a Piano recital. But, Rosalie played in beautifully. There was no singing this time, though Harry knew the words. She finished the song and everyone clapped.   
"Thanks." She said smiling. "I'll just play one more. This one is my favorite." She rolled her next and sat the violin on her shoulder, holding it carefully. It was Amazing Grace. Harry watched as Rosalie's body swayed with the music.  
_Amazing Grace  
How sweet the sound  
That saved a wretch like me_  
Harry could hear the words echoing through his mind.  
_ I once was lost  
But now am found  
'Twas blind  
But now I see_   
Slowly the music stopped and Harry blinked, thrust abruptly back into reality. Everyone at the table was clapping. He joined them, and Rosalie bowed, looking embarrassed but pleased with herself.   
~*~  
That evening Harry found Rosalie in the common room with the leather bound book. She was flipping through it and looking sad and happy at the same time. It was a photo album. He sat down next to her. She quickly wiped her eyes.  
"It's a photo album. My aunt sent it to me." She explained. He nodded. "Want to see?"  
"If you want to show me, I'd love to see." She smiled weakly and opened it. On the first page there was a picture of a pretty looking women and a smiling man. Harry guessed that these were her parents. The resemblance between Rosalie and her mother was very obvious and Harry could see that Rosalie had her fathers chin and nose. It was a color photograph, and unmoving.   
"My parents." She said and moved the album onto Harry's lap.  
"You look like them." he commented as he turned the page. The next photo was a wizard photo of her parents at their wedding. They were smiling and waving. He turned the pages. More pictures of them together. Then there was a picture of them with a baby. "That's me." She said. In the picture she was crying and her parents were trying too soothe her.   
The photo album was an odd assortment of muggle and wizard photographs. There were pictures of Rosalie on her first broomstick, making potions with her mother, at the beach, eating ice cream with her friends and many of her surfing or with her surfboard, blonde hair, blowing in the ocean wind.  
"You surf?" He asked looking at one photograph of her with her surfboard and her mother and father. She was wearing a medal around her neck.  
"I loved to surf more than anything." She said with a sigh. "I miss it so much." She pointed to the picture. "This was the year before my parents died. I got 3rd place in this contest. I was so happy." She smiled and turned the page, as if she was afraid of remembering. The last photos were of her and her violin and again at the beach. The last photo was a formal portrait of her and her parents. They all looked so happy. Harry felt his heart welling up with sorrow for Rosalie and anger at Voldemort for ruining her happiness. He then felt guilty, because he was glad she was here. She shut the photo album and hugged it tight.   
"It's weird." She said slowly. "I feel happy and sad at the same time looking at these photos." Harry saw a tear roll down her nose.  
"Memories are bittersweet." He said and gently put an arm around her. She leaned against him.   
"That was really corny Harry." She said with a weak smile. He smiled back.  
"I know." He squeezed her shoulders.  
"I could show you my photo album." He suggested. "I don't know the stories to all of the pictures but..."  
"I'd love that." She said smiling, glad to be able to think of something else.  
Harry and Rosalie spent the rest of Christmas day remembering their pasts. They both felt sad at when they went to bed in the evening but they felt happy too, that they had someone to share all this with. _Life really is bittersweet. _ Harry thought as he lay in bed. How ironic, that we meet because of something so tragic. He rolled over, _But even though it tastes bittersweet the sweet overpowers the bitterness..._   
A/N: *gags at own corniness* That was bad... but, whatever.  



	12. Snakes

_Complicated_ Chapter 12: Snakes   
By, Rosekeet  
A/N: Dang. I thought this fic would be just a little over ten chapters but, I guess not. Ok, whatever. It's not like anybody reads it anyway.   
PG for mild language, violence, sensuality, fantasy type violence and thematic elements  
Dedicated to: Violomana. I know she'd hate this.  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters and titles belong to J.K. Rowling.  
  
_**Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?  
Acting like you somebody else gets me frustrated  
Life's like this, you  
And you fall and you crawl  
And you break and you take  
What you get and you turn it into  
Honesty Promise me I'm never gonna find you fake it**_  
  
The rest of Christmas break was spent peacefully. Harry and Rosalie played chess, exploding snap and just talked. Harry suspected that he was falling in love with her. He couldn't quite figure out their relationship. He knew Rosalie liked him as more than a friend but, how much more he didn't know.  
  
She leaned against him on the couch sometimes and they held hands but, they never talked about it. Harry felt that they had a certain connection through their parents. It was nice to have someone that understood. Ron and Hermione were great, but neither of them could really know how it felt and he understood that.   
  
Harry didn't mind their step up on the relationship ladder. He felt warm and fuzzy inside a lot and felt as though he was attached to a balloon sometimes. It was a nice feeling though. The only thing that bothered him was Rosalie's reading. He didn't mind the reading itself it was what she read. Things like _Murdering Through the Centuries_, _The Secrets of Dark Wizardry_ and _107 Ways the Kill Your Enemies and Make it Look Like an Accident_. It troubled him. She got so deeply involved in the book. Harry had flipped through one and had been appalled by the suggestions and the erm- lets say "graphic" illustrations. She said it was for DADA but by the way her eyes gleamed when she said it Harry knew that it wasn't. His mind wandered to Halloween. She couldn't possibly be reading them for that reason could she? That was insane, Harry thought. She couldn't be that stupid. Rosalie wasn't the smartest witch he knew (Hermione held that spot) but she wasn't stupid. But, he wouldn't have to worry about it for long. Ellard was taking their slips to check out books of the restricted section away the day after break and requiring them to turn their books back in. She had threatened them with torture and worse if they didn't and the students believed her. Though pretty, she gave a vibe that said, "I could hurt you, not think twice about it, _and_ make it look like an accident."  
  
Ron and Hermione arrived back at Hogwarts to Harry and Rosalie's delight. Even though Harry and Rosalie liked each other very much, being with the same person for about 2 weeks straight is rather stressful. Classes started in full swing with loads of homework. Harry was able to manage his homework and Quidditch practice well enough. Hermione was in her prime, and much to her enjoyment she was doing much better in Transfiguration. Better so that McGonagall said she didn't need Ron's help anymore. Harry would have thought Hermione would have been happier than she seemed about this, but then again she was loosing some alone time with Ron. Rosalie on the other hand seemed to be getting worse instead of better if at all possible. She could do the wand movements, say the words and understand the concept but couldn't make anything happen. It was bizarre. Hermione called it a "mental wall" but Harry didn't think so. Her Charms work was suffering too. Harry couldn't figure out what it was. It was as if at times she was just a Muggle waving a wooden stick. Then other days, she would do just as good as everybody else. But the "other days" were growing less and less. She was often to be found in empty classrooms after dinner practicing simple charms that they had mastered in the first and second year. Malfoy was using this to his advantage and Rosalie had earned herself a week worth of detentions and 50 points from Gryffindor for punching him.   
  
About halfway into January (a week after Gryffindor had "beat the crap out of" (according to George) Ravenclaw in a Quidditch match) Flitwick decided to teach them transportation charms.   
  
"These are the first step before you can learn to apparate." He said, standing on his usual pile of books. "It is a difficult and different charm. The main difference is that it takes two witches or wizards to make it work. Very, very few charms require this. Wizard one- the mover- is the one who actually transports themselves somewhere. Wizard two- the receiver- brings them back. Now, the mover can send himself or herself somewhere without the help of the receiver but, they cannot get back to where they started without them. To get back the mover must say the first half of the charm and then the receiver must stay the second, with in very close proximity. Go to page 587 in your books."  
They took about 3 pages worth of notes and listened to about 15 minutes worth of warnings before they got to begin. "Now just send yourselves to the front of the room, so that if the receiver can't bring you back you won't have to worry. Remember wait a minute movers before you say the returning spell and receivers wait a minute and 15 seconds before saying your part of the spell."   
"Ready Harry?" Rosalie asked nervously, twirling a piece of hair that had come out of its plait around her finger.  
"Yep. You're the receiver." She nodded. "Here it goes." Harry waved the wand in the complicated pattern that Flitwick had taught them and then pointed his wand at himself and said, "Movitium!"   
He squeezed his eyes shut and felt the room dropping out from under his feet. About 5 seconds later he felt himself on something solid. But it wasn't the stone of the Charms room. He opened his eyes. He was sitting high in a large oak tree in the middle of a forest. The forbidden forest? He didn't know. He swallowed. _No need to panic, I've done something wrong. I'll just say the spell and then I'll be able to get back._ He told himself. He started counting and looked down.   
  
The ground was writhing with snakes. He forced himself not to move and listened closely. He didn't here anything. Odd, he felt sure that the snakes would talk to each other. But, suddenly, one by one they began to change into black robed figures, very familiar black robbed figures. _Death Eaters._ he thought, heart pounding painfully. _They're all animargus._ He scanned them quickly, Voldemort didn't seem to be among them. One of them stood on a tree stump and started shouting instructions.   
"Now, we're to raid this muggle village. Kill and steal whatever you'd like, but, if you find what the Dark Lord wants, don't harm her, capture! Let's go!" There was a loud roar of approval as several people fired dark marks into the sky, which were barely visible. The union of Death Eaters began to turn back into snakes and slide through the trees away. Harry clung to the oak for dear life, afraid to make a noise. When he felt that they were gone he muttered the spell. Nothing happened, he repeated it and felt the familiar sinking sensation. He abruptly found himself back by his desk in Charms class.  
"HARRY!" Rosalie cried, tears streaming down her face. She flung herself on him in a hug. "I'm sorry, I couldn't bring you back! The Professor had too!" She sobbed. Harry awkwardly hugged her back, his mind in turmoil.  
"It wasn't your fault Rosalie." Flitwick said. "Harry must have done something wrong. Where'd you end up?" Harry swallowed.  
"In a forest."  
"Where?"  
"I don't know. I need to speak to Professor Dumbledore right now."  
"Why?"  
"There were death eaters in the forest." A hush fell over the entire classroom Rosalie stopped crying and looked up at Harry. Her face was chalk white and her eyes blazing with rage. Ron and Hermione looked nervous.  
"Are you serious?"  
"Yes. A whole lot of them."  
"You aren't lying?" Flitwick said tentatively.  
"Why would I lie about something like that?" Harry said defensively. "They were going to attack a muggle village! They were looking for someone!" Flitwick nodded.  
"Of course you are excused. The password is blood suckers." Harry quickly left the room, surprised at how calm he felt.  
  
~*~  
  
"Animargus." Dumbledore said quietly, resting his chin on his hands.  
"This changes everything." Harry nodded. "Snakes you said?" "Yes." Dumbledore didn't say anything. _Snakes._ Harry thought. _Snakes..._ He gasped, suddenly remembering the day in the fall where he Ron, Hermione and Rosalie had seen all those snakes entering the forbidden forest.  
"Professor! In the fall, I saw a bunch of snakes going into the forest."  
"I saw it too." He said wearily. "But, what can we do?" Harry was surprised. Dumbledore was supposed to have all the answers. "We can't go around killing off every snake, but I will notify the ministry and Fudge, the blithering idiot." Dumbledore took out a piece of paper and parchment, seeming for the first time the old man he really was. Harry, surprised that Dumbledore had just insulted the minister of magic, got up.  
"Harry, before you go," Dumbledore said, "be careful. The attacks are getting more and more frequent. We don't want anything to happen to you."  
"Yes professor."  
"And, keep an eye on Rosalie Allison, alright?"  
"Yes sir."  
"Thank you Harry." He said at last, and Harry left the office feeling very unsettled.   



	13. Valentines Day

_Complicated_  
Chapter 13: Valentines Day  
By, Rosekeet  
A/N: I should finish this up pretty quickly now. Not that anybody cares because no one reads it but yeah...whatever...  
Dedicated to: myself  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters and titles belong to J.K. Rowling, not myself.   
  
  
January passed in a flurry of Quidditch, homework, classes, love, and muggle attacks. Slytherin beat Hufflepuff so bad in a Quidditch match that as Fred put it "wasn't even funny." The Slytherin team was at it's prime and this year Harry wasn't the only one with a Firebolt. Malfoy had managed to get himself one. _At least,_ he thought, the entire team doesn't have them Slytherin wouldn't be easy to beat. All the teachers were piling on homework. They were working on more complex human transfiguration and McGonagall wouldn't let them participate unless you did the assignment and did well on it. Rosalie usually got to do the activity but rarely succeeded at it. She didn't let it bother her though.   
"C'est la vie." She always said with a shrug. Professor Ellard's classes were getting increasingly difficult. Rosalie and Hermione had been the only two people in the class to get an A on their essays. Flitwick had abandoned the Transporting Charms and Harry was still baffled by his relationship with Rosalie.   
"She's got a thing for you mate." Ron constantly told him but Harry wasn't sure he believed it and always brought up Hermione whenever Ron's teasing got out of hand. _That_ always shut him up quick. Both he and Rosalie agreed that Ron and Hermione should "hook up" as Rosalie put it. "They are _so_ in love." She constantly said. _What about us?_ Harry would wonder. Oh, well, Valentines Day was coming up.   
The attacks by the Dark Lord and his followers were becoming more frequent and worse. Muggles were becoming suspicious. Harry had told Ron, Hermione, and Rosalie about what he had seen in the woods. They were all troubled, especially Rosalie.   
"They were looking for someone?" She had asked several times. "That's what they said."   
"The dirty bastards." Ron grumbled, and for once Hermione didn't reprimand him about his language. But, the thing Harry found most distressing had been Dumbledore's reaction.   
"No way." Ron had said shaking his head. "You're serious?"   
"Yes."   
"Things must be grimmer than we thought." Hermione had said nervously.   
"He's brilliant."   
"Who?"   
"Voldemort. Having all his Death Eaters be animargus." The quartet was constantly on the lookout for snakes whenever they went to Care of Magical Creatures. They told Hagrid what had happened and he started killing snakes when he saw them.   
"I hope it was a Death Eater." Rosalie had said bitterly when she saw Hagrid with a dead snake one day. The whole school was murdering about the Dark Lord. Malfoy didn't seem phased by the new developments though.   
"Slimy git." Ron muttered. "Bet he's been in on it the whole time." Harry wouldn't have been surprised, after seeing Lucius Malfoy at the Third Task. He didn't let Malfoy bother him though, he had bigger things to worry about.   
  
~*~  
  
On Valentines Day Harry woke up feeling very excited. He had ordered a large bouquet of roses for Rosalie. He had signed the note, Your Not So Secret Admirer hoping against hope that she would figure it out. Harry also strongly suspected that Ron had done something for Hermione seeing as how nervous he was.   
*  
Hermione woke up on Valentines Day morning feeling a bit nervous. She had never left anybody a Valentine before. Rosalie was sitting on her bed, all ready dressed, writing in her diary.   
"Morning, sleepy head." She said cheerfully. "Happy V-day."   
"Yeah... happy Valentines Day..." Hermione mumbled getting out of bed and pulling her robes on. Lavender and Parvati were giggling over a red rose that burst into love poetry when sniffed. Hermione ignored them. When she was dressed she and Hermione hurried down to the common room. Hermione wondered if Rosalie had sent Harry anything, but of course, with her it was impossible to tell.   
*  
Breakfast was an enjoyable affair, with students passing out Valentines and blushing and in some cases snogging.   
"Disgusting." Ron commented making a face as he noticed Pansy and Malfoy at the Slytherin table. "You think they should limit snogging to private areas."   
"Snogging?" Rosalie asked raising and eyebrow.   
"Making out." Hermione said as she took a sip of pumpkin juice.   
"Snogging." She said testing the word out. She laughed. "That is so great. Snogging." She laughed again. Hermione rolled her eyes. Their first class was Charms. Harry had arranged it so that Rosalie would find her flowers in History of Magic. As they walked into the charms room Harry noticed an envelope on his desk. Hermione was looking especially flustered for on her desk was a bouquet of many different kinds of flowers. Harry set down and opened the envelope a shower of rose petals fell onto his desk along with a pink piece of paper. In a beautiful flowing script it read,   
_Love is the basis of the world we live. Love is what makes life worth living. Love is what makes me get up each day in the morning. For, the wish, the hope, the dream, that the one I love would love me back is enough to make me face the challenges of the harsh, unfair rule of the universe. For, the love of another can make up for all the harshness, all the misery, and all the woe of everyday life.   
Roses are Red  
Violets are Blue  
Sugar is Sweet  
And a Friend is in Love with You. _ Harry read the card again and again. He felt his heart beating against his rib cage. _ A friend is in love with you._ Rosalie? I had to be, didn't it? Hermione loved Ron. And he was 101 percent positive Ron was straight. Could it be? He forced his self to scoop the petals into the envelope and put the card away.   
"Got yourself and admirer Harry?" Dean Thomas said grinning cheekily at him.   
"He sure has." Rosalie said looking at the card and grinning at Dean. Harry flushed. Hermione's cheeks were a brilliant shade of pink. In her hand was a card,   
"_To the most beautiful person I know and will ever meet. Love, Your someday when he works up enough courage to tell you wont be secret admirer._"   
"How cute!" Rosalie said reading the card over Hermione's shoulder.   
"I wonder who it's from." She mumbled putting the card in her pocket and putting the flowers on her lap. Rosalie looked at Ron who was teasing Harry about his valentine. Hermione flushed more. Charms class that day was an enjoyable affair. No one was really paying attention. Flitwick was trying to teach them lightening charms, which lessened the effect of gravity on the user. The students kept doing it wrong so for most of the lesson they were floating weirdly above the ground.   
*   
In history of magic both Rosalie and Ron found Valentines on their desks. Ron's was a poem, written on goldleaf paper.   
"_How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.   
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height  
My Soul can reach, when feeling out of sight  
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.   
I love thee to the level of everyday's   
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.   
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;   
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.   
I love thee with the passion put to use  
In my old grief's, and with my childhood's faith,   
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose  
With my lost saints -- I love thee with the breath,   
Smiles, tears, of all my life-- and if God choose,   
I shall but love thee better after death._" His ears were a brilliant shade of scarlet as he carefully put it into his bag. Rosalie found a bouquet of a dozen red roses.   
"Oh!" She breathed inhaling their scent. Tucked in among the blooms was a card. She opened it and read,   
_Each flower has a meaning you know  
For each and every daisy you find here in, is a day I thought not once of you.  
For each and every sunflower is a time I loved another well I knew you  
For each and every iris is a day I only wanted to be your friend  
For each and every gladiola is a moment when I didn't think of you   
For each and every rose is a lifetime I have loved you  
Love, Your Not so Very Secret Admirer_  
Harry had never seen Rosalie so flustered and pleased, before. It was so sweet! She though. And there were only roses in the bouquet.   
"Who's it from?" He asked, trying to play it cool.   
"My not so secret admirer." She said blushing madly.   
"I wonder who that could be..." Lavender said pretending to look confused. Harry and Rosalie both blushed.   
  
--HERMIONE'S POV--  
I've never gotten a secret valentine before! I was so excited. I was flustered and my head was in space the entire day. I hugged the flowers as I went up to the dormitory. _ Your someday when he works up enough courage to tell you wont be secret admirer_ Someday...I hoped with all my heart that it was Ron. I collapsed down on my bed to daydream. I threw my arms open wide and the flowers fell. I quickly got up. They must have rolled under Rosalie's bed. I got down on my knees and reached under. I pulled something out. It was a book. In peeling gold letters it read _110.5 Creative Murdering Ideas_ What?! This was most defiantly restricted material. I reached under again and pulled two more out. _The Most Painful Curses of All Time_ and _Getting on a Dark Lords Good Side_. They must have been books for Ellard's essay that she forgot to turn in. I shrugged and put them under the bed. I'm sure Rosalie would turn them in soon enough. I peered under, found my flowers and lay back down on my bed, and my entire mind turned to Ron.   
  
--NARATOR'S POV--  
Harry sat at a table trying to do his homework, but his mind was on his valentine. He could practically feel it in his book bag. He angrily tapped his quill on the paper, causing ink to scatter.   
"Careful Harry!" Rosalie said as she tried to wipe a drop of ink off her paper. "A charm works better." He said with a smile.   
"It's fine." She said firmly with a little glare. Afraid, he had upset her Harry forced himself to return to his Transfiguration homework. After about an hour he sat up and stretched. He looked around the common room. There were a couple of people in a corner and Ginny and Colin Creevy were giving each other moon-eyes over a potions book. He shook his head and chuckled. Ginny and Colin would make a great couple. He stood stretching and felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Rosalie. He turned around.   
"I'm going to bed."   
"All right, good night." He said with a smile.   
"Good night." She said, "and thanks for the roses, I hope you liked my card."  
With that she bent forward and gently kissed him on the lips. Harry blinked and watched her retreat up the stairs. Did what he think just happen really happen? He felt like a giant bubble had been strapped to him and that he would float away into the stars. He stood there, his face the picture of amazement and happiness.  
"Well, make me a servant to a house elf!" George said. "Harry Potter's in love!" _ I am in love! I am! _ His mind screamed but, he couldn't seem to move. "Don't you agree, Fred?" No reply. "Fred?" He said looking around.  
"He's snogging in the corner with Angelina." Ginny said peering out from around the armchair that she and Colin had moved too.   
"Oh. Right." George said raising an eyebrow.   
"But, you're right George." Ginny said. "Harry's in love!" George grinned and slapped Harry on the back.   
"She's got you bad, mate." Harry nodded smiling.   
"Real bad." He agreed as he moved to pick up his things. _I'M IN LOVE!!!!!!_


	14. Sondra and Severus

_Complicated_   
Chapter 14: Sondra and Severus  
By, Rosekeet  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters and titles belong to J.K. Rowling. I assume no credit for them  
Rated PG for mild language, fantasy type violence, thematic elements and sensuality  
Dedicated to: Payless Shoes  
  
Harry wasn't quite sure what was going on between him and Rosalie but he knew she was the one who had sent the Valentine so he was content. He went through the days with a feeling of fuzzy giddiness inside. Even Potions was bearable. Snape hardly ever picked on Harry, just on Rosalie. It was painful for him to watch her suffer. But sticking up for her just made things worse for the two of them. He'd watch in sad silence as her cheeks flamed up and her chopping got harsher. But they all managed. Harry wasn't sure about Hermione and Ron and he wondered what they thought of their Valentines. He didn't have much time to ask. Life was a flurry of lessons, (school and violin) studying, and Quidditch. But Harry liked all of it, particularly Violin lessons. Or "alone time with Rosalie" as Ron called it.   
"Good Harry!" Rosalie said smiling as Harry finished a simple etude. "You're getting so much better! You only made 8 mistakes!"   
"10 less than last time!" Harry said with a sarcastic grin.   
"It'll be perfect soon." She said, "Then we can move on to something harder." Harry groaned,  
"You're a tough teacher!"  
"I have to be! It's the only way you'll learn!" She said sounding like a mix of Professor McGonagall and Hermione. He laughed and transfigured the instrument. back into a quill. The quill was looking a bit shabby as this was the 10th time it had been a violin. Rosalie wiped hers lovingly and put it in its case.  
"I'll go put it away and then we can go to practice." She said hurrying away. Harry pocketed his quill and waited for her to come down. She did shortly and they excited followed closely by Colin Creevy. Harry still didn't care much for Colin but Rosalie thought he was cute so he was silent as the two talked. Quidditch practice went well. Gryffindor was defiantly in the running for cup. Their only competition was Slytherin. Harry was confident that they could win though. Malfoy may have gotten himself a firebolt but he had no natural talent. Harry and Rosalie waited at the field until the entire team had left. Then he locked the locker room and he and Rosalie headed back up to the castle, still in Quidditch robes.   
"Do you think we'll win?" She asked excitedly.  
"I sure hope so." Harry said. "But, I'm more worried about getting my homework done... They've really been laying it on."  
"I know! And that awful essay Snape assigned. _Really._ Why would we ever want to know how to grow an extra head?"  
"Well, if you got it cut off..."  
"You'd be dead all ready."  
"Oh. Yeah... true... I guess he just likes making us miserable."   
"Yeah. I swear he was smiling as he gave me that detention today." Rosalie said bitterly. Harry laughed.  
"What was it for this time?"   
"I walked to quickly going to the cupboard to get some toad eyes." She said, rolling her eyes as they walked up the steps and into the castle.  
"I can't figure out why he hates you so much." Harry said. "I mean, I thought there'd never be someone he'd hate more than me."   
"Why does he hate you?"  
"He and my dad were at each others throats all through school. My dad also saved his life."   
"Really?"  
"Or so they told me. I think it's something else but, I haven't got a clue what."   
"I bet it's just because I'm American." She said.   
"Maybe." Harry agreed. He had noticed that she had been fighting lately to keep her accent from turning British.   
"Harry! Rosalie!" Ron called as he and Hermione emerged from the Library where Hermione had been trying to help him with his charms work.   
"Yo!" Rosalie called back waving. "Figured out those charms yet, Ron?"  
"I think so." He said as they fell into step beside Harry and Rosalie.   
"He should have." Hermione said, "I explained it to him about a hundred times." Ron scowled. "I swear his skulls as thick as this wall!"  
"Or he was distracted..." Harry said. Ron shot him a dirty look and grinned. The quartet ducked under a tapestry and emerged in the Defense Against the Dark Arts corridor.  
"Say, is that Snape son of Satan going into Ellards room?" Ron said peering down the hall.  
"I think so." Hermione said. Harry could tell she was purposely ignoring Ron's comment about Snape.  
"What do you think he's doing in there?" Rosalie said.   
"Why don't we go find out?" Harry suggested. They all nodded, letting curiosity get the best of them and tiptoed over to Professor Ellards door, which stood slightly ajar.  
"I'm telling you Severus, let it go!" She was saying angrily.   
"Fine! Fine!" Snape said hotly. Harry could picture his eyes narrowing and the all too familiar scowl on his face.   
"I've told you, there is nothing we can do!" She said with a sigh.  
"We both know there is Sondra." He said dangerously.  
"It's simply not an option. We've been over it before."  
"You're not weighing the outcomes enough!"   
"I think it's you that isn't." her voice was getting lower and lower pitched, a sure sign that she was getting more pissed off by the second.  
"What's more important, one life, or the lives of thousands?"  
"Severus, either way it's not the best choice."  
"He's here! I know he is!" Snape was practically yelling.  
"Keep your voice down! You don't need to startle half the school! I know he's back. Dumbledore knows he's back. It is not in our power to do anything."  
"We can't just do nothing!"  
"Your own feelings aren't important right now. I know, you are angry but you can't let it control you!"  
"You have no right to tell me how I feel!" Snape hissed.  
"If I don't, who will, Severus, who will? You can't seem to do it yourself." There was silence and Harry motioned them all behind a suit of armor. The door slammed open coming off one of its hinges. and Snape stormed down the hall not noticing them.  
"Reparo." Professor Ellard said with a sigh. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, Miss Allison and Miss Granger, I know you're there." Hermione squeaked and Harry felt his stomach drop to the floor. "I'm not going to punish you. Come out, or I'll have to make you." They scrambled out from behind the suit of armor, looking guilty.   
"You heard everything didn't you?" She said with a piercing stare at each of them.  
"Yes ma'am." Hermione said softly.   
"Damn him..." She muttered. "Well come in. You'll want a bit of an explanation no doubt." They looked nervously at one another and followed her into her office, Ron leaving the door ajar for an easy escape route. Ellard sat down at her desk, her dark red hair was coming out of its bun and there were bags under her eyes. The sight reminded Harry of how Hermione looked during exam week.  
"Well?" She said leaning back looking at them levelly. No one spoke. The Professor didn't speak either.  
"Why does Snape not like you?" Rosalie blurted out. To their surprise she smiled.  
"There's an interesting question with an interesting answer." She paused and started at Rosalie for a moment.  
"Well, first off, what do you know about your good old potions master?"  
"He used to be a Death Eater." Harry said promptly. Ellards eyes brows shot up.  
"Didn't think you'd know that, but it'll make the explanation easier. You see, I used to be an Auror, and I caught Severus." She said.   
"But, you would have been in school, wouldn't you?" Ron asked.   
"I'm older than I look." She said with a slight smile.   
"Yes, I caught him. He was tried and proven innocent. I was pretty angry about this but he left the ranks of the Dark Lords death eaters and came to teach here."  
"That explains it." Rosalie said nodding.  
"Well, that's only part of it. Severus is my cousin." Whatever the four students had been expecting to hear it wasn't that.   
"Cousin?!" Ron said, looking revolted.  
"Yes, Mr. Weasley cousin. We weren't particularly close. His fathers sister was my mother. She was the black sheep in the family so to speak. I only saw him on holidays as we lived in Germany. My family wasn't to happy with me when I turned him in but they also weren't happy that he'd been hanging around Death Eaters." She saw the look Ron's face. "True they were all in Slytherin but just because someone's a Slytherin does not mean they're automatically a Dark Wizard." Ron's ears flushed. "I'm actually a bit surprised he's willing to speak to me." She said looking up at the ceiling. Harry got the feeling that she was proud that her cousin hated her so much.   
"You were talking about Voldemort?" Harry asked. Ellard leaned forward and looked Harry square in the eye.  
"Yes."   
"He's coming back?"  
"You knew that all ready, though." Harry didn't say anything and neither did Ron, Hermione and Rosalie.  
"By the way, fine job on your essay Miss Granger." Hermione smiled. "All of you did well." Ron's eyebrows shot up. "Yes, even you." She said to him. "I have some papers to grade, so you lot better head back to your dormitory." They all turned to leave.  
"Oh, before you go, Madame Pince has informed me that there are some restricted books from the library missing. Do you know anything?" They all shook their heads. Hermione looked sideways at Rosalie. "Well, good night and good luck at the game on Saturday."   
  



	15. The Quidditch Cup

_Complicated_  
Chapter 15: The Quidditch Cup  
By, Rosekeet  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters and titles belong to J.K. Rowling. I assume no credit for them  
Rated PG for mild language, thematic elements, fantasy type violence and sensuality  
Dedicated to: The Petricola Brothers   
  
  
March seemed to go by in a blur. Harry felt that half the time his head was attached to a balloon.   
"If that's what being in love is like I'm not so sure it's a good thing..." Ron said to him one day. He knew Rosalie loved him and she knew that he loved him. Their relationship was still undefined though. They weren't an official "item" and they never really talked about it. They usually blushed madly whenever they saw each other, just like Ron and Hermione.  
"What is this a blushing contest?" Draco Malfoy remarked with his famous sneer one day when the four of them were working together in the library.  
"Shove it up your ass Malfoy." Rosalie said sweetly.  
"Best you could come up with Squib?" Malfoy said with a smirk. Rosalie's eyes were flashing and her cheeks flaming but she kept her cool.  
"You're not worth my time, I could do something useful, like see if I could get my head as far up my ass as you have yours."  
"Quite into my ass aren't you?"  
"Don't make me hex you."  
  
"Not that you could." "Leave." Harry said feeling furious.   
"I wasn't talking to you Potter. I was talking to your Squib girlfriend, thanks." Harry got up.   
"Malfoy..."  
"Don't like the truth Potter?"   
"Some of us are trying to study." Hermione said coldly to him.  
"Yeah," Ron said, "We can't all afford to buy ourselves passing grades."   
"I hope you enjoy being a 5th year again then Weasley." Malfoy said. "Maybe you can get your mudblood friend to tutor you if you beg." Ron stood up and walked over to him.   
"Malfoy, get a life." He said calmly before punching him squarely in the nose. He fell backwards and put a hand to his face which was spurting blood.  
"OUT!" Madame Pinch barked angrily at them. "20 points from both Gryffindor for violence and 15 points from Slytherin for uncalled for insults!" Malfoy hurried away his hand over his nose and the foursome followed. Hermione opened her mouth.  
"I know, I shouldn't have done that," Ron said seriously, interupting her, "but I lost my temper."  
"No," Hermione said, "I was glad you did." Ron's ears burned. Harry and Rosalie smirked and she gave him a small smile in thanks. But, despite Harry's love for Rosalie he couldn't help but wonder if there wasn't just a little speck of truth behind Malfoy's accusations. Rosalie was truly awful at wand work. She had blacked out in Charms the other day, but Madame Pomfrey said she didn't believe it was the class work that caused it. But Malfoy still had no right to go around saying things like that.  
~*~   
It was a sunny, breezy April day that the Quidditch Final was on. Harry got up feeling excited. Rosalie's eyes were shinning, though she looked a deathly pale. The team forced themselves to eat breakfast and then they made there way out to the field.   
"Good luck." Ron said grinning.  
"Kick Malfoy's sorry ass." Hermione said enthusiastically.  
"Hermione!" Ron said, surprised. She smiled sheepishly.  
"Will do." Rosalie said and she said it in a way and with a gleam in her eye that made Harry believe she really would. The team changed quickly into their scarlet robes.  
"Let's go beat some serious Slytherin butt!" Harry said. The team cheered. They marched confidently onto the field to roars of approval from Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs alike.   
"Let's make it a clean game." Madame hooch said giving the Slytherin captain (a 6th year Beater Harry didn't know) a harsh look. Harry shook his hand and the boy smiled a toothy grin at him. Harry wasn't sure how that made him feel but he didn't seem too bad. "Mount your brooms. On my whistle." _TWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET_ Harry kicked off hard.   
"And they're off." Lee Jordan said. "Krepit of Slytherin has the Quaffle. But Allison of Gryffindor has apprehended it. She's improved quite a lot. I've heard there's a 'thing' going on between her and Potter-"  
"Jordan!" McGonagall barked.  
"Sorry. Johnson has the Quaffle. She's going fast... GRYFFINDORS SCORE!" Harry cheered and did a loop on his broom. They were playing well. He swooped low looking for the familiar flash of gold.   
"Creevy blocks a score by Mullons of Slytherin. Quite a good keeper for a little runt. Creevy tosses it to Bell who's flying low... LOOK OUT!" A Bludger sped towards Katie who swerved, dropping the Quaffle, which was picked up by a Slytherin Chaser. "OH! Bloody hell that could have been nasty. Damn good play on Slytherin's part though..."  
"LANGUAGE JORDAN!" McGonagall yelled.   
"Erm- sorry. No way Creevy could've blocked that one. Slytherin scores! Goddam- er... darn it..." Gryffindor scored 5 more times in the next 15 minutes. Harry hadn't seen the Snitch at all. Malfoy was tailing him like a hawk. He didn't have a natural talent for seeking like Harry had. It was easiest for him to simply follow Harry and hope his broom was fastest. The Chasers were in their prime, dodging and weaving. They were traking the others moves brilliantly. So were the Slytherin chasers.   
"Surprised your girlfriend can fly a broom Potter!" Malfoy called. Harry ignored him. He had to concentrate.  
"Slytherin scores! The Score's tied 100 to 100. Those Seekers better get cracking!" Harry weaved among the players. Where was the Snitch? He shot upwards; pursued by Malfoy who was yelling insults at him. He looked down. There it was! But Malfoy was below him and he saw him go that way he could get it first... Suddenly he had an idea. Malfoy hadn't seen the snitch... Harry dove straight down, and as expected Malfoy followed.  
"Potter's seen the snitch!" Lee yelled, on his feet. "Look at that dive! Malfoy's in close pursuit, Bell has the Quaffle!" Harry's was totally focused on a single point on the ground. It was like playing chicken with yourself, he thought. Out of the corner of his eye he could still see it, gleaming in the sunlight. About two feet from the ground he pulled up and shot like a rocket up towards the snitch. Malfoy slammed into the ground. "AND MALFOY'S DOWN! Ouch, that had to hurt! Where's Potter going? Allison's got the Quaffle! What the bloody hell?! What's he doing?" There it was! He reached out his hand and felt his fingers close around the cool metal. Rosalie threw the Quaffle with all her might and scored one last time. "HOLY SHIT POTTER'S GOT THE SNITCH! That was just about the most spectacular catch in all of Hogwarts history! Sheer genius on Potter's part! Krum couldn't have done better! BRILLIANT! And what?! Allison had scored at the same time! Gryffindor wins the cup 260 to 100! HOLY DOUBLE SHIT WHAT A GAME!" Lee roared. Harry, snitch clutched in triumph had landed cleanly on the field and was swallowed by the team and other Gryffindors that had swarmed onto the field.  
"POTTER! POTTER!" They were screaming. The noise was deafening. McGonagall had even ignored Lee's bad language and was hugging him, screaming too. Harry felt the Quidditch cup being passed into his hands. He held it up and the noise (if possible) seemed to get louder.  
"HARRY!" Rosalie yelled as she shoved her way through the team, hugging and yelling as she went. "You were great!" He called to her as the Gryffindors made their way onto a platform. Students were swarming the pitch. He passed the cup to Colin who was smiling so broadly it looked like his cheeks would split.   
"You were too!" Rosalie said as she came up next to him, grinning like mad. "Always have to be the hero don't you?" She teased.   
"Of course! I'm the boy who lived, remember?" He teased back. With that he swept her up into his arms and kissed her. She looked surprised as they broke apart but leaned forward again and kissed him back. A loud whistle went through the crowd.   
"Seems we have a little romance on the field!" Lee yelled. "Potter's scored again!" Harry and Rosalie broke apart both blushing furiously. They looked at each other and started laughing. The Gryffindor team was alone on the platform surrounded by huge mobs of students. Harry could see Ron and Hermione laughing. The cup, which had been passed around to each team member, came back to him and he held it high and more noise erupted from the students.  
"GRYIFFINDOR WINS!!!!!!!!!"   
~*~  
The party in Gryffindor tower was unlike anything that had ever happened before. Every single solitary Gryffindor right down to the very last first year was there. Fred and George had managed to sneak down to the kitchens and bring up such a feast that rivaled the House Elves. Harry and Rosalie got teased to practically their wits ends but nothing could spoil their happiness. The entire team was still in their robes and a giant banner with the Gryffindor lion hung suspended above the fireplace. It was even better than the 3rd year, Harry thought. He made up his mind to write to Wood and to Sirius about it. At about 2 in the morning McGonagall came in and watched like a hawk until the entire common room was cleaned up and everyone was in bed. Harry lay in his four poster in complete bliss, despite the ache in his cheeks from smiling so much. He felt that at that moment he could have made the worlds best patronus.  
  
~*~  
  
Deep in the deserted moors of Scotland Voldemort and his Death Eaters lurked.   
"You were right, Wormtail." The cold high voice of Voldemort said with a hint of sarcasm. Peter looked faint for relief. "What a shame, I won't have to kill you." Peter gulped audibly and the crowed of hooded figures snickered. The Dark Lord turned to the crowd.  
"Do we all know the plan?" A murmur of "Yes milord" ran through them.  
"Good. If you blunder I will give you to the Dementors for breakfast." The Death Eaters shuffled nervously.   
"Now, Return upon the morrow. GO!" A faint rippling could be heard as the Death Eaters disapparated. Voldemort's cold laugh echoed throughout the rural lands. At Hogwarts in his sleep Harry Potter felt a sharp pain in his scar. He winced and rolled over, not waking.  



	16. Liberation

_Complicated_  
Chapter 16: Liberation  
By, Rosekeet  
A/N: I. Will. Finish. If. It. Kills. Me.  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters and titles belong to J.K. Rowling  
Rated PG for mild language, fantasy type violence and thematic elements  
Dedicated to: Caron yarn company  
  
Harry woke late on Sunday morning feeling terribly happy, memories of last night's party running through his brain. The dormitory was empty so he dressed quickly and went down to the common room to find Neville asleep in an armchair snoring loudly and Ron and Hermione engaged in a chess game that Ron was naturally winning.  
"Morning." Harry said walking over to them.   
"Hello." Ron said pleasantly. "Great party last night, eh?"  
"Oh, really what's the point!" Hermione scowled as Ron took her knight. "You're just going to win."   
"Terrific." Harry said. "The look on Malfoy's face!"  
"Yeah! Losing is good for you. Queen to D6. Checkmate." Ron said to Hermione. She shot a look that would have wilted flowers at him and said "Good morning!" pleasantly to Harry.   
"Where's Rosalie?" Ron asked.  
"Sleeping, I'm guessing. How would I know?" Harry said pulling a chair up to the table where Hermione's chessmen were grumbling to themselves as they got back in starting order.  
"Oh, I don't know..." Ron said sarcastically putting a finger to his chin. Harry colored.  
"Look, just because- well- I don't sleep in the girls dormitory!" Ron coughed loudly he heard Hermione trying to keep from laughing.  
"Honestly-"   
"Morning!" Rosalie called appearing suddenly behind Harry, who jumped. "All right Harry?"  
"F-fine." He muttered turning redder. She smiled at him. "What are we talking about?"  
"You and Harry." Hermione said mater-of-factly. "Pawn to B3."   
"Oh- that." Rosalie said turning the same color as him.   
"Knight to B3." Ron said before turning to the pair as Hermione grumbled. "So, are you two going to tell us?"   
"Tell you what?" Harry said crossing his arms defiantly.  
"Castle H5." Hermione said. "We're your best friends and we don't know a thing. Honestly! Are you two and item or what?"  
"I don't know." Rosalie said leaning on the back of Harry's chair.  
"What do you think Rosalie?" Harry asked looking up at her.  
"Fine by me." She said with a nonchalant shrug.  
"All right then, yes. We are." Ron and Hermione started at them.  
"That's it?" Ron said eyebrows raised. "No snogging or groping or moon eyes or anything?"   
"Well, if you'd like to see it..." Rosalie said with another shrug.  
"NO. I'm fine thanks." Ron said turning back to the chessboard. Rosalie and Harry laughed and she slid into the chair next to him where she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.   
"Oh, Ron, you missed it!" Hermione said gasping.  
"What?" Ron asked looking up.   
"It was disgusting! You should have seen the two of them!" Ron made a face halfway between disgust and puzzlement.  
"Oh, I'm scared for life!" Hermione moaned covering her eyes. Rosalie snorted. Ron looked horrified.  
"I'll say." Harry said as he leaned over and kissed Rosalie on her own flushed cheek. Ron scowled heavily.   
"I think I'll just go to breakfast." He said with an angry sigh.  
"Good idea." Rosalie agreed and she and Harry got up, Harry wrapping his arm around her waist. Hermione followed leaving the chess set to pick itself up. The quartet meandered slowly to the great hall, Harry's arm still around Rosalie's waist. She fit perfectly there, like she was a missing piece of a puzzle. They were still laughing at an irritated Ron and chattering about the previous days Quidditch game when they entered the Great Hall. The atmosphere was quite different than it usually was. People were whispering nervously among themselves and there was an air of nervous tension that hung thick in the room. Harry caught the word, "Azkaban." "What's going on?" He asked.  
"Blow me." Ron said with a shrug, puzzled. They sat down at four empty seats at the Gryffindor table and began piling food onto their plates.   
"What's the ministry going to do, now?" Dean was asking Seamus.   
"No, idea. Reckon they'll keep the school open?" Even Fred, George and Lee were talking quietly instead of the usual ruckus.  
"Seamus," Rosalie said, "What's all the fuss about?"  
"You haven't heard?" He said staring at her.  
"If she'd heard she wouldn't have asked." Ron said irritably as he bit into a piece of toast. "Oh, well-It's Azkaban. It's been liberated."   
"WHAT?!" They all said, four mouths dropping in unison.  
"It's in the Daily Prophet." Dean said. Just then a tawny owl flew passed dropped the paper into Hermione's lap. She quickly unfurled it and they all gathered around her. Large bold letters read "AZKABAN LIBERATED BY DEATHEATERS". Harry felt sick. "Yesterday evening as a routine inspection of Azkaban occurred as scheduled but it was found though that every single cell was empty and the Dementors were gone." Hermione read out loud with a shaky voice. "At first there was no visible evidence of anything happening. But closer inspection of the cells reveled that the Dark Mark was etched onto one of the bars of every door. It is believed that Death Eaters came and freed all their old companions and that the Dementors have either been killed or (most likely) joined the Dark Lord."  
"Fudge didn't listen to Dumbledore." Harry said quietly as Hermione sat the paper down. Her hands were shaking something awful. "He should have. I heard Voldemort say himself that they were planning this. I should've seen it coming." Ron and Hermione starred at Harry white faced and thin lipped.   
"W-what's going to happen now?" Rosalie said, voice small. Her American accent was still thick. At times Harry could tell that she was trying not to loose it.   
"I don't know..." He said as he sat back down running a hand through his wild dark hair. "I just don't know..." Hermione has stopped eating and was reading the rest of the article silently to herself. Harry was glad. He didn't want to hear it. Ron was playing with his food and eating a biscuit half-heartedly. Rosalie looked like she was going to be sick. Her face was pale and her blue eyes were wide, making her look vulnerable. He put his arm around her and she scooted closer leaning against him. _They are our natural allies._ Damn Fudge, damn the Daily prophet, damn Voldemort and his Death eaters. But most of all damn Fudge.  
"Well, isn't this sweet." Malfoy said sidling up to Harry and Rosalie. He didn't look worried or disturbed at all, in fact he looked quite pleased with everything going on around him. "The great Harry Potter comforting the squib." Harry opened his mouth but Malfoy kept right on talking. "I wouldn't be expecting too much of Potter here, Rosalie." He continued "He's gotten lucky a few times but he hasn't really done anything. He's just been in, in the wrong place at the wrong time his whole life."   
"I could do a helluva lot more than you, Malfoy." Harry said looking back at him, feeling his anger boiling.   
"Really?" Malfoy said mildly amused.  
"But, you don't have to worry about the Death Eaters do you Draco?" Rosalie said turning to look at him, blue eyes piercing. "You're aquatinted with most of them, aren't you?" His cheeks colored.  
"Are you implying that my family is in league with you-know-who?"  
"No. Just commenting that you aren't looking too worried about this whole situation." She said with a sweet smile.   
"You dirty rotten squib! My family is better than that! We don't need a Dark Lord to lead us to victory! We- " But he was cut off by the bell and swept away in the tide of students hurrying to get to class.   
"What a rotten thing to say!" Hermione said getting up next to Harry and Rosalie glaring in the general direction Malfoy had gone, though she couldn't see him.   
"Rotten, but true." Harry said with a sigh looking at her. "That just about sums up my existence: wrong place at the wrong time."  
"You don't mean that, do you?" Ron said looking at Harry.   
"Sure do. Look at the third task. Transported to that graveyard with a bunch of Death Eaters. How I got to play Quidditch and all the times I practically got framed for the Basilisk job 2nd year. When my parents were killed. The Dobby incident." Ron and Hermione didn't say anything they just looked very sorry for him.   
"You're in the right place now." Rosalie whispered in his ear. Harry smiled gratefully at her and hugged her tightly. "Let's get to class. I don't need to worry about McGonagall murdering me as well as Voldemort."  



	17. The Professors Speak

_Complicated_   
Chapter 17: The Professors Speak  
By, Rosekeet  
A/N: So much for this only being 10 chapters  
Rated PG  
Dedicated to: the all of creation  
  
POV-MINERVA MCGONAGALL  
  
"I've been asked to speak to you about the recent events that have occurred in our world." I said to my 5th year transfiguration class. They all looked tense and pale. "Dumbledore was planning on speaking to the school but, he was called away and will not return until tomorrow." I looked at each student individually, wishing desperately that all this was just a nightmare. "While at Hogwarts you have nothing to fear. I do however, wish to tell you that the situation is very serious indeed. Very dangerous people are now on the loose and the Dementors are not on our side anymore. I do believe that Professor Ellard will be trying to teach all of you the Patronus charm." Not that any of them would be able to do it. Potter did a better Patronus than most wizards, almost, as good as my own, but 99% of them wouldn't be able too. Probably just Potter and maybe, Granger. It broke my heart to think that if any of these bright young wizards and witches wouldn't be able to do a thing to defend themselves against a Dementor. "I am afraid that dark times are upon us. I had hopped that none of you would ever have to live through this." I looked around the room again. Allison looked like a ghost and Longbottom was shaking like a leaf. Potter was staring at me but I felt like he was looking right through me. My memory flashed back to that night in front of his Aunt and Uncles house. _I'm afraid the rumors are true._ The poor boy, but he had escaped 4 times before. I shook my head. Luck didn't last forever. For the first time in my life I believed that idiot Trewlany. Harry Potter had a dark, painful death in his future.  
  
POV- SONDRA ELLARD  
  
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" Lavender Brown yelled with all her might at the imitation Dementor I had conjured. Nothing. Not even a whiff of smoke. It was pointless to teach these children this. Half the Professors at this school couldn't do it. But what with the news about Azkaban we'd gotten yesterday, I didn't have much of a choice. And the news we got to day about the mass murders occuring in every continent.   
"Potter, up here." I said as Lavender trudged back to her seat. He got up wearily and trudged to the front of the room. He looked exhausted. "Try and explain to the class how you do it." "Well-" he said carefully. "The trick is to think entirely about your memory. Most of the time you're too worried about the Dementor that you aren't really focusing on it. You just have to accept that the Dementor is there and then think really hard." The class looked blank. And that wasn't a half-bad explanation either. He looked at me, and I could tell that he didn't want to demonstrate again.  
"Thank you, Potter. Allison, why don't you give it a try?" The girl nodded and walked to the front of the room. She looked worse than Potter did and she hadn't done it once. I watched her in her black robes, long plaited hair and necklace that she always wore. I knew she wouldn't be able to do it. Potter was watching her with concern. He knew she couldn't do it, too. Potter really cared about her. She took a deep breath and yelled,  
"Expecto Patronum!" Nothing happen. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" She tried again, only this time something happened. She collapsed to the floor in an unattractive heap. If all the students did that it sure would make the Dementors work easier.  
"Rosalie!" Potter yelled and was up in a flash and by her side. "Rosalie?" I walked over and knelt down beside her. I felt her wrist. The pulse was strong but she was out cold. I frowned. What had caused her to black out? Then the eyelids began to flutter and she sat up slowly. She looked surprised to see all her classmates crowded around her.   
"Rosalie are you ok?" Potter asked.   
  
"I-I don't know..." "Take her to the hospital wing." I told him as I helped the girl to her feet. She wobbled but Potter steadied her and wrapped his arm around her waist leading her out the door.   
"All right- all right! Sit down!" I told the class. I shook my head as I wrote an assignment on the board. As far as I could tell Allison had no magic powers at all.  
  
POV- Madame Pomfrey  
  
"What happened?" I asked Harry Potter and Rosalie Allison as the two of them walked through the door. The girl was leaning heavily on Potter and she looked like she would collapse at any moment.  
"She blacked out in Defense Against the Dark Arts class." Potter said as he helped her to sit down a chair.   
"Thanks..." She whispered to him. He smiled weakly at her, I could tell he was worried.  
"What were you doing?"  
"The Patronus Charm." I snorted.  
"The Patronus Charm, Potter?"   
"Yes, ma'am." I felt her forehead. Her temperature was low. She had closed her eyes. "Stay with us, Allison." I said tapping her face gently.   
"Wasn't able to do it was she?"  
"No."  
"Humph." I felt her wrist. The pulse was low.  
"Madame Pomfrey, will she be ok?" He asked me quietly, looking worried.  
"I think so Potter. It seems to be exhaustion. Was she worried about the recent events?"  
"No more than anybody else. Rosalie's not the type to go and faint from fright." I studied the girl for a moment. Minerva had informed me that she'd done the same thing in Transfiguration. I frowned and looked at Potter. He was kneeling beside her and whispering softly. She smiled and said something back. Potter smiled and took her hand loosely.   
"All right brake it up." I told them. I'm all for young love but I'm trying to run an infirmary here. They both jumped and colored. "Allison you go behind those curtains and change into that nightgown. I'm going to examine you and then you're taking a strong sleeping draft and sleeping until tomorrow." Potter helped her to her feet and she stumbled slowly to the curtains, which I closed with a wave of my wand. Potter moved to leave but he turned to look back at me.  
"You can come to visit in the morning Potter, she's not going any where."   
"Thank you, ma'am." He said and he left. I sniffed and went to examine the girl. She was leaning against the bed.  
"I got dizzy." She mumbled. I didn't reply but helped her to pull the nightgown on properly. I started to unclasp the necklace. But she grabbed it and shook her head firmly. I shrugged and made her get in bed. I couldn't figure out what was the matter with her. The stress of everything most likely. I gave her a sleeping draft and she was out in about 5 seconds.   
~*~  
I woke up the next morning to find Allison still sleeping. I decided not to wake her up. A little Hufflepuff lad had come in the night before with bad stomach pains and was moaning in the bed across the room. I took breakfast in my office. It was a less than pleasant morning. The newspaper was full of stories about He-who-must-not-be-named but that wasn't the main story. The headline read: MURDERS AROUND THE GLOBE. People, wizards and Muggles alike were being massacred by the hundreds. And not just in Britain. Everywhere. Buildings blown up in the USA, mysterious plane crash in Asia and all sorts of other stories where the most logical explanation was Voldemort. I threw the paper away with a sad shake of my head. Things weren't good at all.  



	18. Murder and Moral

_Complicated_   
Chapter 18: Murder and Moral  
By, Rosekeet  
A/N: I WILL FINISH BEFORE THE NEW YEAR! (Leaving me what, 4 days?)  
Dedicated to: N/A  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters and titles belong to JK Rowling  
  
  
The weeks of April began to slip by quicker than anybody had expected. There was plenty to talk about and the whole school was very high strung. It reminded Harry of second year. Except for a brief scare when Dumbledore returned a day late the students weren't worried about themselves. They knew they were safe at Hogwarts. It was the rest of the outside world they were afraid for. Many parents had tried to take their students out early and just as many had tried to see if they could stay over the summer. And the unusual tension was increased by the upcoming exams.   
Hermione was in her element drawing up study schedules but only for herself this year. "You two are never grateful, so why waste my time?" She said good-naturedly. Harry and Ron weren't sure how to feel about this because as much as they hated to admit it those schedules had helped quite a lot.   
"Will you make me one, Hermione?" Rosalie asked. "I'll need all the help I can get." And indeed it looked that way. It seemed as though Rosalie hadn't quite recovered from her fainting spell in Defense Against the Dark Arts. She looked pale, nervous and very tired though she didn't act that way. She was trying her best in all her classes Harry knew, but it just wasn't helping. The only classes she was doing really well at were Divination and Care of Magical Creatures. She would have had a good grade in Potion had Snape not marked her down for even the smallest of things.   
Eventually Harry swallowed his pride and asked Hermione to make him a study schedule which she did with an infuriating smirk. Ron was trying his best on his own, but it just wasn't working. Harry could tell he didn't want to ask Hermione for help on anything. But eventually Ron did too and Harry could tell Hermione was very pleased with herself.   
  
One warm Friday afternoon Rosalie, Harry, Hermione and Ron decided to go visit Hagrid. It was a beautiful afternoon and Harry was sad that Quidditch season was over. It was perfect weather to fly a broomstick in. They knocked on Hagrid's door but found that it was locked.   
"Odd." Ron said frowning. "Where is he?"   
"Doing gamekeeping stuff, probably." Rosalie said with a shrug. Harry frowned.  
"Maybe...." But it didn't convince him though. Hagrid was almost always home around this time. They stood in front of the little cabin for a moment wondering what to do. They decided to go back to Gryffindor tower and (at Hermione's suggestions) study. They were making their way across the lawn when a large owl landed on the grass in front of them. It eyed them suspiciously before dropping a small white envelope on the grass in front of them. Ron picked it up and opened it.  
  
_Dear Harry, Ron, Hermione and Rosalie,  
  
Sorry this is such short notice but I've been called away on some business. I'd appreciate it if you'd look after Fang until the end of term. I don't expect I'll be back for a couple of months. Hope you're well.  
  
-Hagrid_  
  
"Why in the world-" Ron said as he finished reading the letter.  
"There's a post script." Hermione interrupted and snatched the letter. "PS: Stay out of trouble. Especially Harry. You've been almost killed one to many times." She read.  
"Friendly advice." Ron said sarcastically. "We _know_ to stay out of trouble, we just never do."  
"This time we should." Hermione said tucking the letter in her robes.   
"Wonder why he dashed off so fast." Harry said frowning as they headed back to the castle.   
"I hope he's all right." Rosalie said with a furrowed brow, "I don't like to think about what they have him doing." But, their worries about Hagrid were momentarily forgotten that night at dinner when Dumbledore announced a "moral booster."  
"Great- he's taking a leaf out of ol' Lockhart's book." Fred whispered. "Guess he's finally lost his last marble."  
"A formal end of term dance!" Dumbledore said smiling. There was a great bustling of excitement (mostly from the girls) and whispering.   
"Great." Ron said sounding less than thrilled at the prospect of a repeat of the Yule Ball. "It will be held the evening of the last Friday of your exams which I'm sure you're all study hard for." There was a series of uncomfortable shifting. "Dress robes will be worn, dinner will be served and all years are invited, but you must have formal robes." There was a cheer from the younger girls and more talk erupted.   
"Sounds like fun." Rosalie said.  
"Yeah." Harry agreed. "Want to go with me?"  
"All right." Rosalie agreed taking a bite of pasta. "Shall we have a violin lesson tonight?"  
"How about after we study for McGonagalls exam. That one will be a killer."  
  
***  
  
"What're you grouched about for Ron?" Harry asked as he lowered his "violin". Ron was sitting moodily in an armchair, listening.  
"I'm trying to figure out who to ask to this formal dance AND I'm studying Potions. The two don't exactly make you a bundle of sunshine." He scowled.  
"Ask Hermione." Rosalie said as she tightened the hairs on her bow.  
"WHAT?!" Ron said going pink.   
"She'd like to go with you." Rosalie said peering at him.  
"How do you know?"   
"I'm a girl. I know these things." Ron didn't say anything he just looked sideways to where Hermione was sitting in an armchair across the room. She liked to study by herself. He turned pink.  
"Oh, don't be thick." Harry said. "Remember that fight you two had after the Yule Ball? I'm not a girl and _I_ know she'd like to go with you."   
"And it's pretty obvious you like her." Rosalie said.  
"Very obvious."  
"Very very-"  
"Can we drop the subject?" Asked Ron moodily. Harry and Rosalie grinned at each other and began to play. Harry had improved quite a bit since the beginning of the year. He could play some of the pieces Rosalie was working on and hand learned several tricky charms to help him. He'd also bought a metronome in Hogsmead that said nasty things to you if you got off the beat. Sirius (whom Harry had played for in his cave curtsey of a now disgruntled rock) had gotten quite the laugh when it had yelled, "CAN'T YOU COUNT MORON? IT'S BEAT 2 NOT 3!" Even when it was turned off. Harry had taken a bit of a disliking to it, though it had helped.   
May rolled by at a steady pace. The Daily Prophet was still full of unhappy stories and sightings of Death Eaters and Dementors but the students had grown to accept the fact. They were busy worrying about their finals, and the upcoming dance.  
Rosalie told Harry that a really cute Ravenclaw boy named Donald had asked Hermione to go with him but she turned him down.   
"Why?" He asked.  
"Ron of course. She wants to go with him!"  
"He wants to go with her but he'll never ask."  
"She'll never ask him either. She's too stubborn. Maybe we could-"  
"I doubt it. They'll never admit they want help. It'd be like trying to stop the tides."  
"True, besides I've got to stress about my Transfiguration exam." Harry smiled. Rosalie was studying night and day, determined to do well. One morning he found her asleep in an armchair where she had been trying to turn a table into a cushion. He doubted that she would get very high marks on her exams but the teachers had to commend her effort; she was trying her best. She certainty wouldn't give up and he loved her more for it. But the late night study sessions weren't helping her health. She looked terrible. She had bags under her eyes and looked terribly pal and almost blacked out in Charms class. Harry was worried about her.   
~*~  
"Kiss for luck?" Rosalie said, eyes twinkling on the day of their first exam. Harry grinned at her and kissed her gently.   
"She should be really lucky." Lavender commented with a giggle. The two broke apart with a blush.  
"Not like you can study for Trewlany's crap anyway." Ron said with a shrug. "I don't know about all of you but I'll be fudging the whole thing."   
"Ditto." Harry said with a laugh.  
"Allison, Rosalie." said Trewlany's sorrowful voice as Dean climbed down the ladder.  
"Load of rubbish." He muttered. "But I think I did ok."  
"What'd she have you do?" Parvati asked keenly as Rosalie made her way up the ladder.  
"I had to look into the mirror or whatever."  
"Oh! What'd you see?" Lavender asked excitedly.  
"My reflection." Everybody started laughing and Lavender and Parvati bristled. "Course I didn't tell her that. Told her that I saw Harry."   
"Me?" Harry said mildly. "Doing what? Dying?"  
"Right on." Everyone laughed harder, including Harry.  
"That's a good one. I'll tell her I see myself getting strangled or something." Harry said. Neville looked worried.   
"But, Harry, what with you-know-who on the loose- well- don't you think he really might come after you?" He said nervously. Harry was silent. This was partially true, he was a bit afraid, of course that feeling was always there, it never left...  
"Neville, I've been afraid Vol- erm- he-who-must-not-be-named would be after me ever since first year. I've just sort of dealt with it."  
"That's brave of you Harry." Neville sai  
d. "Not really, I mean, there's not much else to do. I can't very well hide in a broom cupboard all day, can I?"  
"That's what I'd do." Neville said truthfully.   
"Weasley, Ronald." Trewlany said and Rosalie appeared at the ladder.   
"What did you see?" Parvati asked hurrying over to her.   
"Looking for ideas to make up something good?" Rosalie asked with a smile. Parvati looked shocked.  
"Never!" She and Harry grinned. After a few minutes Ron climbed back down the ladder.   
"Told her I saw myself at a funeral." he said, "A very close friends funeral and that there was rain and everything. She lapped it up like a thirsty dog. Just give her something morbid."   
"Harry Potter." Trewlany called. Harry sighed and climbed the ladder up into the stuffy room to be greeted by a mournful professor. "Sit down." She said with a wave of her hand. Harry sat down on the cushion in front of her. They were both seated on the floor. In between them was a plain oval mirror. Next to it was a jug of water. "Now, Harry, I want you to look into the mirror using the process we learned in class and tell me what you see."   
"All right." He said with a shrug, feeling the warm heavy air beginning to fog his brain. He gently poured the water onto the mirror being careful not to splash. The water stayed on the mirror and spread to the very edges. Harry found this the most interesting part of the whole thing. He leaned over the mirror and looked in. His own reflection distorted by water starred up at him. "What do you see?" Trewlany asked.   
"Fog." He lied and he looked harder suddenly his reflection vanished and he saw nothing in the mirror. Harry blinked harder. What was going on?   
"Anything?" The teacher prodded.  
"I see… a rose…" He said looking, for it seemed to him that the vague shape of the flower had appeared. "Where is it?"   
"I- don't know… Hold on…" The image was becoming clearer. It was a vivid red in color. "It's- alone… just there… wait! It's-wilting." He said in wonder as the rose in the mirror dropped. Was he lying so hard, he believed he was seeing it?   
"Wilting?" Trewlany said, looking delighted.  
"Yes, it looks sad… miserable." Harry told her, unable to believe that he wasn't totally fudging this. "Astonishing! Anything else?"  
"It's started to rain. I can't see the flower anymore, but the rain's still there."  
Harry starred harder. Was it end of the year stress? "The rain stopped- there's a snake… it's gray and looks angry. It's raining again… the snake is gone…" Harry watched as the rain spewed in the water on the mirror suddenly it stopped and his distorted reflection starred up at him. "The rain stopped. I just see my reflection." Harry looked up. Had he just had a real vision? "What does it mean?" He asked. Trewlany was scribbling away on a pad of yellow paper. She looked carefully at him.  
"I am not sure but I believe you are seeing your own fate."  
"I'm going to become a sad flower?" He asked. She glared frostily at him.   
"It's metaphorical Mr. Potter." She continued to scribble. Harry starred into the mirror. Nothing. Trewlany waved her wand and the water moved back into the jug. "Excellent job. You may go."   
"Thanks," Harry said and he climbed down the ladder. When he reached to bottom he decided that it was just exam stress.   
  
The rest of the exams went well enough. Flitwick had them take a written test and then have them demonstrate a charm he chose in front of him. Harry did well, (he was good at engorgement charms) but the look on Rosalie's face told him that she hadn't done well at all. For Transfiguration they had to turn three pieces of fruit into a table and two chairs. They had a written essay test in History of Magic. (Explain the significance of the creation of the Goblin /Warlock treaty made in 1345) They were also given a written test in Care of Magical Creatures (Hagrid was still missing) and in Potions they had to make a pain relieving brew. Harry felt he did well on all of them and by Hermione's satisfied expression he knew that she would be top of the class for the 5th year running. Even Ron felt confident. Rosalie didn't say anything. After lunch on the last day of exams found Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Rosalie sitting under a large tree near the lake.   
Harry was sitting with his back to the trunk and Rosalie was lying down with her head on his lap. Hermione was sitting next to Harry and Ron was sprawled out on the grass in front of them. Rosalie's eyes were closed and Harry wouldn't have been surprised if she had been asleep. She looked exhausted. He moved her thick braid to the side and she didn't move. "Harry," Ron said, breaking the peaceful silence.  
"Yeah?"  
"Who're you taking to the dance tonight?"  
"Neville." Harry said sarcastically. "Rosalie of course."  
"You damn well better be." She said with out moving. He grinned and rolled his eyes.  
"When was this arranged?" Hermione asked looking at the pair. Rosalie sat up and stretched.  
"Oh, around 2 or 3 weeks ago, I think."  
"How come we didn't know?" Ron said.  
"You never asked." Harry said and Rosalie shifted so's she was leaning against him. There was a silence again.   
"Hermione," Ron said after a few minutes. "Would you like to go to the dance, with me, I mean." He said, still lying on the grass. Hermione blinked in surprise.  
"S-sure. Of course!" She stuttered.  
"Great." Ron said sitting up. They looked at each other and turned the same shade of beet red. Harry and Rosalie started laughing.  



	19. A Little Romance

_Complicated_  
Chapter 19: A Little Romance  
By, Rosekeet  
A/N: Only 2 or 3 more chapters...  
Dedicated to: anyone who reads this. Bless your heart.  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters and titles belong to J.K. Rowling.  
  
"You look flushed, Hermione." Rosalie said as she pulled a comb through her long, now wavy (curtsey of Lavender) hair.   
"I am not." Hermione said as she patiently applied more hair straightening cream to her head. "OOOoooh! Why?" Parvati asked as she applied eyeliner.  
"Ron asked her to the dance this afternoon." Rosalie said as Hermione turned redder.  
"How cute!" Lavender gushed. "I always knew you liked each other!" Hermione didn't say anything. She just glared as she pulled her hair back.  
~*~  
"Why so fidgity Ron?" Harry asked as he pulled comb through his thick hair.   
"No reason." Ron said as he adjusted the color on his new robes. They were dark brown, like his eyes.   
"New robes?" He asked setting the comb down. It didn't help any.  
"Yeah. They're from Fred and George. Said they didn't want me disgracing the family with my old ones." Harry smiled and Ron began to comb his hair.  
"You all ready combed your hair." Dean observed as he flipped through a worn looking nudie magazine.   
"And you all ready looked through that." Ron said scowling.  
"Well, there's a reason for that." Seamus said smirking. "Why are you so nervous?"  
"I'm not nervous!"  
"I heard someone say that he was going to the dance with Hermione." Neville said. Ron went bright red and they all laughed.  
"Come on." Ron muttered "Let's go down to the common room."  
*  
The common room was mostly full of boys who were milling about looking as though they'd have rather been doing something else.  
"Why do girls take so long to get ready?" Colin Creevy grumbled. He looked rather fidgity as well. He was going with Ginny Weasley. ("If those two get married..." Ron shuddered)   
"Who knows." Harry said as he sat down in an armchair. The boys were all talking about how the girls would look. _Certainly taking everybody's mind off the attacks._ Harry observed. Ginny Weasley walked down the steps leading up to the girls' dormitory looking very pretty and rather flushed. She was wearing plain blue robes but they looked nice on her and her hair had been curled. Colin got up to meet her and the two exited the portrait hole chattering. Girls seemed to be flooding the staircase now all looking excited and giggling madly. Harry wasn't paying attention to them- he was looking for Rosalie. After what seemed like forever she and Hermione appeared at the top of the stairs. Harry stood up, mouth slightly open.   
She was dressed in pale pink empire waist robes. They swirled gently around her feet. The sleeves were made of a see through type material and were long and wide. Her hair was hanging all down her back in gently waves except for a few pieces that were pulled away from her face with a silver clasp. The rose earrings he had given her for Christmas dangled from her ears and the familiar silver necklace she always wore hung from her neck. She was laughing and her eyes were bright and her cheeks pink. Harry couldn't remember the last time she looked this pretty.  
Hermione also looked lovely. She was wearing the same dress robes that she had worn to the Yule Ball and her hair was swept up into a crown on the top of her head. She was wearing teardrop earrings the sparkled and a matching necklace. Ron looked enchanted.  
"You look great!" Harry told her as he took her hand at the bottom of the stairs.   
"You don't look so bad yourself." She said with a twinkle in her eye and she leaned over and kissed him. He grinned at her and wrapped his arm around her waist and the two turned to watch Ron and Hermione.   
"You -um- look- nice..." Ron was muttering to the floor.  
"How enthusiastic." Rosalie said. "_I_ said something better than that."  
"For Ron, that's the equivalent of a sonnet."  
"Very nice..." he continued.  
"Thanks... you too..." Hermione mumbled also staring at her feet.   
"Come one, let's not stand around all day having a blushing contest!" Fred said suddenly appearing between the two and clapping them on the shoulders making them jump.  
"Ron, you've had your eye on her for _years_. Don't just stand there like an ass, kiss her or something."  
"Fred..." Ron hissed threateningly, going a shade redder than his own hair.   
"Yeah, come on, let's leave the love birds alone." Angelena said grabbing Fred by the arm. "I found us a closet, hon."   
"Cheerio!" Fred called with a wink as he went with Angelena. Ron muttered something under his breath towards Fred and then held his arm out to Hermione.  
"Want to go down?"   
"All right." She said with a blush, taking it.  
~*~  
The great hall was arranged similarly to the way it had been for the Yule Ball. Harry, Rosalie, Hermione and Ron found a table with Seamus and a pretty Asian looking Ravenclaw girl Hermione and Rosalie knew. Harry looked surveyed the hall briefly. He noticed that Cho Chang was no where in sight. He felt very sad all of a sudden.  
"What're you having, Harry?" Rosalie asked with a smile that jerked him into reality. Ron and Hermione loosened up during dinner and everybody had a good time. The Ravenclaw girl, Diane Felps, was very funny and Harry suddenly remembered that she was a prefect, like Hermione. After dinner the tables were all cleared with a pop and a wizard DJ appeared where the high table had been. There was a great cheer for the young wizard, who reminded Harry briefly of Bill Weasley.   
"Dance?" He said to Rosalie.   
"Of course!" She said grinning and they moved out into the crowd, Harry leaving all his pride behind him for the evening. Ron and Hermione stood awkwardly next to each other for a few moments until they saw Fred coming towards them. They then moved next to Harry and Rosalie and even Ron too abandoned his pride and looked like he was having a good time. Harry had eyes only for Rosalie. She was smiling and laughing and looked so happy that it made him happier. Her eyes were sparkling and Harry wondered why every other boy in Hogwarts wasn't falling in love with her. After a while about an hour a slow song came on and Harry wrapped his arms around her waist and she leaned her head against his chest, breathing heavily. Her long hair was still perfectly charmed in place. Hermione was leaning against Ron who, over a head taller, had his chin rest gently on the top of her head.   
When the song was over Rosalie suggested they go outside. The night was cool and a gentle breeze was blowing. The fountains from the Yule ball were still there and benches and swings hanging in little inlets of rose vines lined a newly created path.   
"Want to sit down?" He asked gesturing to a swing. They sat down and Rosalie leaned against him and he wrapped his arm around her. The swing began to magically rock slowly and Rosalie shut her eyes. Harry felt crazily happy sitting there surrounded by the rose vines. Voices of other students drifted to them but they were in their own little world.  
"Harry?" Rosalie said softly.  
"Mm?" He asked looking towards her. Here eyes were looking at her feet. She shifted so both legs were on the seat, tucked next to her.  
"Nothing... never mind." He nodded and she was quiet again.  
"I love you." She whispered suddenly. Harry blinked in surprise, heart quickening.  
"I love you too." he whispered back, he moved so he could look at her and he noticed her eyes were wet.  
"Something the matter?"   
"No. I've got something in my eye." She hastily wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and smiled at him. "Want to go for a walk?"   
"All right." He said and they got up. Rosalie took his hand and they walked slowly down the path, with laced fingers. The moon was bright. It would be full in another few days. Harry wondered briefly about how Professor Lupin was but the girl next to him trapped his senses again. She smelled sweet, like some sort of flower.   
"OH, look!" She said suddenly stopping. "How pretty!" The moon was reflecting off the surface of the lake and the mountains were silhouetted against the sky. "Just like a painting!"  
"Almost as pretty as you." Harry said wrapping his arm around her.  
"You can be pretty corny sometimes Harry." She said smiling "But I love it." He laughed and moved to kiss her but,   
"Was it just me or did the ground just move?" He asked.  
"I felt it... odd..." Rosalie said, puzzled. There was another tremor.  
"What the-" Suddenly the earth gave way beneath them and they were falling.  



	20. Vengance

_Complicated_  
Chapter 20: Vengeance  
By, Rosekeet  
A/N: Sooooo close to being finished  
Dedicated to: same as chapter 19. Bless your little heart.  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters and titles belong to J.K. Rowling.  
  
"What the hell?!" Harry groaned as he sat up rubbing his head. He heard moaning. "Rosalie? You ok?"   
"I-I think so." She said sitting up slowly. He crawled over to her. "Where did this crazy hold come from?"  
"No idea." He said, miffed. What was going on? He stood up and put a hand to the side of the hole. "This doesn't feel at all like dirt..." He said rubbing it. Rosalie stood up too.   
"It feels like- cloth..." They looked at each other in the dark.  
"You don't think-" He said to her.  
"No. It's too outrageous, too ridiculous, too- stupid."  
"Then-"  
"We've got them!" A familiar sounding voice said. "Bring the powder!"  
"Excuse me!" Rosalie yelled. Harry drew his wand out from his robes. Where had he heard that voice? A silhouette appeared at the mouth of the hole, about 10 feet about them. It was large and burly. It dumped a bag of fine powder on them. They coughed as it floated down and landed on them.  
"What's going on?" Rosalie said, sounding frightened. Harry coughed and tried to brush the stuff off.  
"Lift them up!" The first voice said. It was so familiar... Harry and Rosalie both cried out as they were suddenly lifted up and a black cloth surrounded them.  
"We're trapped!" She cried as they were lifted up. "What the-" She yawned. "I feel... sleepy..."   
"Wormtail!" Harry said feeling his eyelids droop. "Rosalie, they're taking us- to..." he yawned. He was so tired... he could stay awake... Slowly his eyes closed. The next thing Harry felt was falling. He landed hard on the ground and felt himself struggling to wake up.  
"Really, I didn't actually expect you to go through with _this_ plan! It's the most idiotic thing I've ever seen!" A cruel voice was saying angrily.  
"F-f-forgive me m-milord, but it w-worked." The voice of Wormtail said.  
"Yes... It did... but next time you pull something as stupid as this it will cost you your life!"   
"Y-yes m-m-milord."  
"Harry?" He heard Rosalie say groggily. "Where are we?" Suddenly he felt wide-awake. He sat up quickly, feeling his head spin.  
"Draw your wand! That voice was-" Suddenly the cloth was thrown off them. Harry got hastily to his feet and helped Rosalie up. He looked around and he felt like he was going to be sick. They were in a large, rocky field in the middle of a semi-circle of Death Eaters.  
"Oh, shit..." Rosalie said. She and Harry moved closer together wands out, both terrified. A ripple of laughter ran through the Death Eaters. Harry felt Rosalie shaking. Standing behind them was a nervous looking Wormtail.  
"You!" Harry hissed. Puzzlement mixed with terror crossed Rosalie's face. Wormtail squeaked. "Harry Potter." Said a high, cold, cruel, all to familiar voice. A jet of liquid ice went through Harry's body. He felt Rosalie tense beside him.  
"V-Voldemort..." She whispered.   
"Harry Potter." He said again as he approached them. He was robbed all in black and he was fingering a wand in his fingers. The snakelike face looked him up and down with what looked like mild interest. Harry didn't say anything. The Dark Lord circled them and Harry followed him with his gaze trying not to shake. He and Rosalie stood back to back and he could feel her tremble.  
"Harry Potter.... Harry Potter... What am I going to do with you?" Again Harry stayed quiet. "15 years I have tried to kill you. 15 long years." Voldemort sounded nostalgic, as if he remembered those years with fondness. Harry felt even more terrified. _He's going to kill me... and- Rosalie... oh no._ his heart sank.  
"And do you know why I tried to kill you, Harry my boy?" Harry starred at him and Voldemort starred back, a smirk on his evil features.  
"Didn't think so. All these years I've believed a prophecy about a child born on a full moon in the month of my father's birth. And all these years I've believed it to be you Harry." He continued to circle, observing him as if trying to comprehend why he was afraid of Harry and why he'd wasted 15 years and risked defeat once and for all. After about 2 minutes he spoke again. "You can image how upset I was when I found out that this wasn't true. Why, I destroyed a whole village in my anger. Of course I was only looking to kill one person. But, you know how these things work out." Harry felt Rosalie shaking. Was it from fear or anger?  
"And now, here you are." He said stopping directly in front of him. The perfect opportunity for me to be rid of you, but I don't have to be." Harry's knees were shaking now.  
"But we can't let 15 years go to waste, can we? No..." Voldemort stopped and stroked his chin. Harry backed away from Rosalie who looked ill.  
"No... Good-bye Harry Potter." Harry began to run as fast as he could. He had to do something. "Advra Kadavra!" He dove behind a rock and a flash of green filled his eyes and then all was black.   
"HARRY!!" Rosalie's cry pierced the darkness and she started to run towards him.   
"Don't move," Voldemort said sharply to her. She stood where she was and sobs began to wrack her body.   
"You killed him..." She sobbed. "You killed him..."  
"Of course. I couldn't very well just let him go now could I?"  
"I-I loved him!" She said tears pouring down her face. "I- loved him."   
  
***  
  
"Ron," Hermione asked as she sipped a goblet of punch. "Where are Rosalie and Harry?"   
"Outside, I think. Want to go find them?"  
"All right." She said and they headed out side. Hermione and Ron were both very happy. The night was lovely and they walked down the path slowly not looking very hard.  
"Oh, Ron, look!" Hermione breathed as the lake came into view. "It's gorgeous, isn't it?"  
"It sure is." Ron agreed looking at her. She began to walk forward but Ron held an arm out in front of her.  
"Careful."  
"What is it?" Hermione asked looking puzzled.  
"A hole or something." Ron said pointing down.  
"What's this doing here?" She wondered looking at it.  
"No clue. What's this weird powdery stuff on the ground?"  
"Powder?"  
"Yeah, see?" Ron bent over and pointed at the shimmering white dust that was on the ground. Hermione looked at it for a moment.  
"I know what this is! Oh! Don't touch it."  
"I know that! What is it?"  
"It's a type of sleeping draft. If enough touches your skin you fall asleep. Odd. What's it doing here?"  
"No idea." Ron said straightening up, but as he did something caught his eye. "Say, Hermione," He said looking at it. "What's that?"  
"I don't know." Hermione bunched up some of her robes that they covered her fingers and picked the small silver object up. "It's a- rose." She looked at it for a minute. "I bet it was once attached to an earring."  
"How'd it- doesn't Rosalie have earrings like that?" Ron asked.  
"Yes," Hermione said slowly, "Ron, you don't think-"   
"I hope not." Ron moved slowly to the edge of the hole and looked in. He cursed.  
"Ron!"  
"You aren't going to believe this..." Hermione moved carefully to stand next to him and peered into the hole.   
"Oh no..." She breathed. Staring up at them from the depths was a glowing green skull with a snake coming out of its mouth. "The Dark Mark." They starred at each other for a moment and started running back towards the castle.  
  
***  
  
A ripple of laughter ran through the Death Eaters as Rosalie's words sunk in. Voldemort looked very amused.  
"Oh, dear, what a pity, what a pity." He said heaving a great sigh. "I knew that you had become emotionally involved, (made things much easier) but to that extent." He clucked his tongue and began to circle her. She was totally alone and she was trembling so bad she felt like she was going to fall down at annoyance. Harry was dead... it couldn't be true... it just couldn't... "My, my, you do become attached to the wrong people don't you? Harry and your parents, both in the wrong place at the wrong time." Rosalie's head shot up. She was still crying but the wracking sobs had stopped. A fierce sort of hatred had been ignited and she looked at Voldemort with pure venom.  
"You- you've killed the people I love most. I suppose now you're going to kill me." The Dark Lord smiled broadly.  
"Clever little girl aren't you? Surprised your grades weren't better at school." Rosalie's cheeks got hot under the steady stream of tears and her hand tightened around her wand. He watched this reaction with pleasure.  
"We both know the reason for that you miserable bastard." She spat trembling with rage and fear. "Tut, tut we must watch our language, and yes I suppose we both do. And you were right, I am going to kill you." He started circling again.  
"My Death Eaters were surprised when I told them about you and I am surprised myself, but that should make you all the easier to dispose of."   
"I won't die without a fight." She said glaring. "And if I have anything to do with it you're going down with me you lowly piece of scum." This was too much for Voldemort and his followers. They all doubled over with laughter; a few were on their knees. Rosalie swelled with anger. "I can't let you live. I swore to myself that I'd kill you. I don't care if I die doing it, I will kill you." She hissed but she wasn't heard she felt more tears cascaded down her face, she was so angry and so miserable.   
"Stupefy!" She roared and the spell hit the Dark Lord in the chest. But the spell was weak and Voldemort only stumbled slightly. But this was enough to make him angry.  
"You insolent little wench," He hissed advancing on her. She stepped back but then held her ground, knees shaking. He stopped about a yard away from her and smiled a horrible evil smile. "But I don't think I'll have to worry about _that_ for much longer." He smirked. Rosalie looked confused. "Don't you hear it Rosalie?"  
"What?" She said angrily, not liking to be teased.  
"Tic. Toc. Tic. Toc. It's the sound of a clock that's winding down."  
  
***  
  
"Good gracious! Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, what is the matter?" Professor McGonagall said as Ron and Hermione appeared before her, panting.  
"It's Harry-" Ron gasped.  
"And Rosalie!" Hermione said.  
"What about them?" The Professor said clearly puzzled.  
"They're gone!"   
"Gone, what do you mean?"  
"He-who-must-not-be-named has them!" Ron said recovering breath.   
"What _are_ you talking about?" McGonagall said, irritated.  
"We found this!" Hermione said holding out Rosalie's earring. "Next to this hole, with the Dark Mark!"  
"If this is some sort of stunt-"   
"It's no stunt!" Ron yelled. "We're serious!"  
"Mr. Weasley-"  
"Did I hear something about the Dark Mark?" Professor Dumbledore said coming over looking at each of them in turn over the rim of his glasses "Headmaster, these two-"  
"Let them speak Minerva." McGonagall looked furious but she silenced and Ron and Hermione gave the whole story. Dumbledore drew his wand-looking grave.  
"Minerva, get Severus and Sondra and meet me at the end of the path. Ron, Hermione, lead the way."  
  
***  
  
Rosalie's eyes opened wide with horror and she stumbled backwards gripping her necklace tightly. "No-" she stuttered. "NO!"  
"Tic. Toc. Tic. Toc." Voldemort said circling her and the Death Eaters joined in.  
"Tic. Toc. Tic. Toc." "NO!" She yelled but their voices kept chanting ringing in her ears. She was sobbing again and covering her ears. "STOP!" She yelled. "STOP!" She held out her wand and suddenly a loud ringing- not unlike an alarm clock- filled the air. The chanting stopped and they were silent. Suddenly the watch and chain around Rosalie's neck began to glow brightly and she tried to grab it. Slowly the chain unclasped and floated away from her neck. The ringing stopped. "NO!" She screamed trying to grab it as it floated higher out of her reach. "NOOOO!" Her wand took on the same bright glow and floated up towards the necklace. "Come back," Rosalie sobbed. "Come back!" They hovered for a moment and then with out a noise exploded. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Rosalie's yells filled the air and the pieces fell towards the earth. Behind the rock Harry stirred and opened his eyes.  
  
***  
  
"I told you!" Snape hissed as he starred into the hole. "I told you! I felt it just an hour ago, but would you listen-"  
"This is no time for this!" Professor Ellard's voice snapped back. "Headmaster, what are we going to do?" Dumbledore was silent a moment.  
"Severus, I need you to go to Hogsmead and get Snuffles." Snape nodded and dashed away, looking less than thrilled with the idea.   
"Minerva, you make sure all the students outside go into the Great Hall."  
"Is the dance canceled?"  
"No. We don't need mass alarm. At midnight send them straight to their dormitories. No one is to leave the castle and tell them anyone caught wandering the halls tonight risks expulsion."  
"Yes, headmaster." And she too hurried away yelling at the various groups of students outside to go in.  
"Sondra you search the Dark Forest, if you find anything let me know before doing anything. Even you could not take on Voldemort and all his Death Eaters." Ellard nodded and started sprinting towards the forest. Dumbledore turned to Ron and Hermione who had been standing unnoticed in the background.   
"Can you tell me anything at all that you think might help. Anything unusual going on with either Harry or Rosalie?"  
"Well- they're going out." Ron said. Dumbledore nodded.  
"Anything else?" They shook their heads. "Well you two-"  
"Wait!" Hermione said something. "There is, one thing."   
  
***  
  
It took Harry a few moments to register where he was and when he did he almost wished he were unconscious again. There was a horrible pain shooting up his left leg and he couldn't move very well. He wondered briefly why he was alive and then about Rosalie. He scooted painfully a few inches and watched in horror. Rosalie was on her knees sobbing. Where was her wand? What was going on? He moaned feeling memory slip away.   
"Well, you are unarmed now, so it would be rather un-sportsman like of me to kill you without any means of defense. Lord Voldemort is always fair." Voldemort was saying airily to her. She looked stopped sobbing and looked up, eyes full of hatred.  
"Y-you tried to kill Harry when he was just one year old. One year! Isn't a baby defenseless?" Voldemort's face contorted.   
"That boy had more defenses than I was prepared for!" He spat.  
"But you didn't know that, did you?" Rosalie said getting to her feet, voice full of wrath. "No! You don't care defenseless or not! You're just trying to make a show of killing me now. Well, I won't die easy, but when I do finally die I swear that my soul will haunt you and all the other souls of innocent people you murdered will haunt you and make your rotten life a living hell!" Voldemort's face was livid.  
"You don't realize who you're talking to, little girl?" He whispered dangerously.  
"I do! A no good, cowardly murderer who calls himself Lord!" She flung back at him. Harry watched in horrid fascination. Rosalie was trembling and looked like she would collapse at any second but she was holding herself high. He starred. What he was seeing wasn't connecting to his brain.  
  
***  
  
POV- HERMIONE GRANGER  
"Tell me again, why are we in the girls dormitory?" Ron asked looking around uncomfortably. Being nervous makes him irritable. I shoved a pile of dirty robes out from under Rosalie's bed. Where was it?  
"I'm looking for something!"  
"What?"   
"They're- AHA!" I grabbed the stack of books and pulled them into the light. Ron picked them up and sat them on Rosalie's bed.   
"What are these?" He picked one up, "_107 to Kill You Enemies and Make it Look Like and Accident_." He read and threw it down. "What is this stuff?" He picked up the next. "_The Most Painful Curses of all Time_, _110.5 Creative Murdering Ideas_, _How to get on a Dark Lords Good Side_. What the hell is Rosalie doing with all of these?" He said looking at the remainder with horror.   
"That's what I want to know." I said and I started through her drawer looking for her Diary. I found it. For once I was glad she couldn't do charms.  
"Hermione, don't tell me you think-" Ron began.  
"No Ron, I don't but, we just don't know, ok. We just don't know." I blinked back tears and grabbed the books. Ron hurried over and took some.   
"It'll be ok, alright?" He said to me, looking worried.  
"Let's hope so." I whispered and hurried out of the room.  
  
***  
  
"Imperio!" Voldemort yelled. Rosalie dove to the side and rolled the spell missing her. She got up painfully only to have to dodge again. She ran and rolled and dove for all she was worth knowing that soon she would get tired and a spell would hit her. _I'll be with my parents and Harry._ She thought and hit the ground hard. Her robes were torn and dirty and Voldemort was getting angrier by the minute.  
"You little wench!" He hissed at her. "Why wont you let me kill you! CRUCIO!" Rosalie dove but the spell hit her in the arm and she fell spasms of pain coursing through her body. She screamed. Every nerve was on fire. Rosalie's screams struck a chord. Behind the rock Harry's numb brain awoke. He had to do something. Ignoring the pain in his leg he got to his feet and started running across the field.   
  
***  
  
All the students were in the castle. Ron and Hermione were with Sirius and Professor McGonagall in Dumbledore's office. Snape had gone to search the grounds. Dumbledore walked along the paths that had been created, thinking hard.   
  
***  
  
"POTTER'S ALIVE!" A Death Eater yelled. There was a gasp as they all turned to stare at Harry. "NO!" Voldemort yelled. "It can't be!" Rosalie lay on the ground, unconscious; the pain had been too much for her. Voldemort starred as Harry hurried across the field wand outstretched. He blinked.  
"KILL HIM!" He scratched. "KILLL HIM!" Half the Death Eaters started firing curses and the other half morphed into their snake forms. Harry dove and landed over Rosalie's unconscious body kicking a snake away.  
"MOVITIUM!" He yelled pointing his wand at the two of them thinking as hard as he could about Hogwarts. He squeezed his eyes shut and felt the ground dropping out from beneath him.  
"NOOOOO!" He heard Voldemort scream. Harry felt himself hitting the ground at Hogwarts. He moaned and sat up.  
"Harry?" Rosalie said opening an eye. "You're alive!" She started crying and she flung her arms around him. "Oh Harry!" He hugged her back.   
"Headmaster!" Snape yelled sprinting towards them. "HEADMASTER!" Dumbledore started running towards them as well.   
"Potter, Allison! Are you alive?" Harry nodded numbly and struggled to his feet, trying to help Rosalie. Snape gripped his arm and he felt himself forced upright. The world swam before his eyes. He felt so dizzy...  
"His leg-" Harry heard. "They need to go to the infirmary." Snape was saying.   
"I need to see them in my office." Dumbledore's voice said. It sounded far away.   
"But-" Snape protested. .  
"They'll live." Ellard's voice said firmly. Harry tried to focus his eyes. But things go blurrier. He felt Rosalie leaning against him. Things were getting dark. He struggled to keep concious but in a moment everything was black. 


	21. Rosalie's Secret

_Complicated_  
Chapter 21: Rosalie's Secret  
By, Rosekeet  
A/N: SO CLOSE! Happy New Year!  
Rated PG  
Dedicated to: um... the people who made my dress for winter formal  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters and titles belong to J.K. Rowling.   
  
Harry had a terrific pain in his left leg and felt a headache coming on. He tried in vain to shut the voices out.  
"But-"  
"Sirius, I have to ask you to leave. Owls have been sent to the Ministry, someone might be arriving at any moment! You _must_ change back."   
"Fine... fine..." Harry heard his godfather grumble.   
"Ouch, stop it..." he muttered feeling someone touching his leg. He opened his eyes. Professor Snape was applying some sort of salve onto his leg. He wrapped a bandage loosely around it got up gave Harry a look of contempt that plainly said, "I still hate you" and swept away. A large black dog came over and licked Harry's hand quickly then followed Snape, who shut the door.  
Harry looked at his leg, which was propped up on a stool. He unwrapped the bandage. A nasty looking cut was running the length of his calf. It was jagged at one point and not unlike the scar on his forehead. _How did I survive this time?_ He wondered briefly as he re-wrapped the clothe. But the memory came back to him and he sat fully upright and looked around him. He was sitting in a wooden chair in front of Dumbledore's desk. An empty chair sat beside him. He was alone in the room. Even Fawks was gone. _Rosalie!_ He wondered. _Is she ok?_ A door to the right side of him opened and Professor Dumbledore walked in looking very tired and very grim. Rosalie followed. Her head was hung and her long hair hung in front of her face, like a veil. She sat down in the chair and Harry noticed that her body was shaking slightly. She was crying.   
"Rosalie-" She shook her head violently and Professor Dumbledore sat down behind his desk.  
"I see you are awake, Harry." He said.   
"Yes sir."  
"Harry, I need you to tell me what happened. Rosalie has told me her story but, I have not heard yours."   
"All right-" He said glancing swiftly at her. Her face was buried in her hands. He retailed the night's event feelings like there was a large stone at the pit of his stomach.   
"Sir- he might come back!" He finished. "We must do something!"   
"Sh, sh. Voldemort will not come here tonight. He knows that would be a very foolish thing to do, and Harry I do believe that you have done quite enough for one night. You have once again shown great courage. You saved Rosalie's life." Harry nodded silently and Dumbledore sighed heavily.   
"Sir-" he said. "There's one thing I'm confused about."  
"Yes?"  
"I remember hearing an explosion but I don't know what it was from. Do you think I was dreaming?" Dumbledore was quiet a minute. He was looking at Rosalie who was shaking quietly.  
"No, Harry." He said quietly. "What you heard was-" He looked at Rosalie.  
"Tell him." She said miserably. "Tell him everything. He has a right to know."  
"That was Rosalie's wand, and necklace." Harry was puzzled.  
"Why would they explode?" Dumbledore sighed again and leaned forward.  
"Rosalie is a muggle Harry." Harry blinked and starred at him. He was joking right? He couldn't be serious.  
"You're kidding. She can't be..."  
"She is."  
"But, how can she ride a broomstick so well or know about our world or-" Dumbledore held up a hand.  
"Let me explain. First of all Rosalie's mother was a witch, her father a muggle. She grew up knowing about magic. She just did not inherit the ability. Second of all you heard Voldemort say why he wanted to kill you, right?"  
"Yes, because he thought I was in some prophecy or something, but-"  
"But you aren't. He was wrong. Voldemort now believes Rosalie to be that person and consequently wants to kill her."  
"But-"  
"Let me finish. You also say he said that he destroyed a village. Rosalie said you know about this, and that was where her parents were killed. Well, Voldemort believed her to be with them. When she wasn't he was very upset as you can imagine. Well not long after that, he figured out where she was. She had to hide, leave. She came to her aunt in Britain who came to the ministry, who decided to help. They preformed a very rare charm that enabled her to have magic powers for a set time. The charm drew from the powers of 3 wizards. The source of power was the watch she wore around her neck, which also told how much longer the power, would last. It was supposed to last until the end of term but something went wrong, so Rosalie's powers weakened earlier." Harry was silent for a moment the shock of this news not quite hitting him.  
"Sir, how was Voldemort able to find her?" Dumbledore hesitated.  
"Her aunt told him." He said at last. "As far as we know she has become a Death Eater."   
Rosalie looked up. Her face was tear-stained.  
"Why did she do it?" She asked. "Why?"  
"I don't know, Rosalie." Dumbledore said gently. "I don't know. Some people-" He was interrupted by the door banging open.  
POV- PERCY WEASLEY  
"What the hell is going on, Dumbledore?" Fudge asked banging open the door of his office. He always had to make an entrance.  
"Percy!" Ron was yelling at me. I sighed and shut the door behind us with a soft click. The office looked the same as it always had. There were two chairs in front of Dumbledore's desk. Harry Potter was seated in one with his leg bandaged and proped up on a stool. Next to him was a girl with a load of long blonde hair who looked like she'd been crying pretty hard.  
"PERCY?!" Harry said sounding amazed.  
"I'm the Ministers personal assistant." I told hissed and motioned for him to be quiet.  
"What do you mean he took these two children?" Fudge was yelling.  
"Just what I said, Fudge. They were captured in a large hole and put under a sleeping draft where they woke up amongst Voldemort and his Death Eaters." Dumbledore said calmly. Fudge took off the awful lime bowler he always insists on wearing and began to turn it over and over in his hands.  
"You can't be serious about this, Dumbledore." He said. Sweat was glistening on his forehead. "I mean- you can't really believe these two children."   
"You don't believe Harry Potter?" Dumbledore asked, his voice was low and dangerous sounding. Fudge started to gnaw his lip. Who ever thought of making him Minister must have gotten a bludger to the head one to many times.   
"Well- Dumbledore, Harry well, remember last year. And the girl- well she's not one of us."  
"I believe Harry completely, Fudge and I believe Rosalie in this matter too."  
"But Dumbledore- the idea... It's nonsense, Voldemort hasn't been back for years..." I starred at Fudge. He couldn't be serious could he?  
"Are you blind man?" Dumbledore roared sounding outraged. "Look at the signs! Attacks all over the globe!"  
"Just some old Death Eaters, acting up..." Fudge muttered weakly. He was pathetic, really.  
"Azkaban has been liberated Fudge! EMPTY! Dementors and all! Everybody knows he's back but you!" Dumbledore raged. I'd never seen him that angry. His eyes were blazing and it seemed as if he'd grown about 3 feet. He towered above Fudge looking like he was ready to spew fire.  
"Now- see here, Dumbledore. We don't want people to be frightened-"  
"Frightened? Frightened? You're worried about them being frightened?! Better frightened than dead, I say!" Dumbledore yelled. Fudge didn't reply but continued to fiddle with his hat. Dumbledore stood there, steaming. I looked over at Harry, who I expected to be watching with interest. But he seemed more interested in the girl sitting next to him. He had scooted his chair right next to hers and was whispering to her. She said something in return and started crying again. Harry hugged her and looked ready to cry himself. Hmm. This must have been that muggle girl Fudge told me about.  
"Dumbledore-" Fudge said weakly.  
"Don't Dumbledore me, Fudge!" He yelled pointing a long finger at him, threateningly. Fudge clamed up again.  
"You must see something-" Dumbledore said more quietly after a moment. "You signed the papers for the Joinotios charm to be performed for Rosalie. But then, you didn't even do that right..."   
"The charm was successful!" Fudge said hotly.   
"Oh, yes, successful. For a little while! It was supposed to last until the end of the term, Fudge! It's been dwindling for over half the year!"  
"The ones who were donating their powers felt that they could not afford to loose them."  
"And why was that?" Dumbledore asked sarcastically.   
"Well, because- I don't know and I can't force them to do anything!" Fudge said angrily.  
"YOU SEE! Everybody knows but you! Even the littlest first year at this school knows he's back. All of the wizarding world knows! Except our Minister of Magic. That really puts the wizards and witches of Britain in a lovely position doesn't it!" Fudge didn't say anything. I looked at him; his face was turning a nasty shade of purple. "If you weren't such a blithering idiot I'd say you were in league with Voldemort!"   
"How dare you suggest such a thing!" Fudge roared. "Percy's youngest sibling would make a better Minister than you!"  
"The Dark Lord is DEAD!"  
"Excuse me, sir," Harry said quietly. "He isn't dead. I've seen him. Less than two hours ago. He tried to kill me again."  
"Nonsense boy," Fudge said. "You're delirious from loss of blood."   
"I am not." Harry said firmly and unwrapped the bandage on his leg. A long red jagged cut ran the length of his calf.   
"Like the scar..." I whispered and Fudge glanced sharply at me.   
"It was Advra Kadavra. I got lucky. I managed to dive behind a rock. The curse just barely touched my leg."  
"You don't believe that do you?" Fudge said to Dumbledore gesturing to Harry.  
"I do, Fudge, I do." Dumbledore looked like he had had just about enough of the minister. "And everybody else does."  
"You are not going to spread this!"  
"I am not going to for the sake of Rosalie and Harry."  
"You've gone mad!" Fudge cried.  
"Perhaps. But I do have enough sense to know that the Minister of Magic is a fool!"  
"You-"   
"Leave. I don't want you in my office!" Dumbledore said dangerously pointing to the door.  
"I-"  
"GET OUT OF MY OFFICE NOW OR I WILL MAKE YOU!" Dumbledore roared drawing his wand.  
"The school governors will be hearing about this." Fudge said sharply and went out the door. "Come, Percy." I nodded to Dumbledore and left the room.   
  
POV- NONE  
  
"Damn him!" Dumbledore said fiercely pounding on his desk. He ran a hand through his white hair and sat down slowly. "Now-" He said turning to Rosalie and Harry. They were silent, starring. "I am sorry you had to witness that. I- am afraid I lost my temper." Harry starred, he had never seen Dumbledore that angry. Voldemort was smart to fear him. He felt a little afraid himself.  
"Sir- they aren't going to- er- sack you are they?" Harry asked after a moment, remembering Fudge's last words. Dumbledore smiled grimly.  
"Oh, Fudge will try but I'm not going anywhere if I have anything to do about it." He took a deep breath, "Now. I do believe this has been enough of an ordeal for one evening. Professor Ellard is out side and she will escort you to the infirmary. I will speak to you again tomorrow." Harry nodded, mind feeling quite numb, and got up. Surprisingly his leg wasn't aching. Rosalie got up, keeping her head down so a sheet of long blonde hair hid her face. Harry headed towards the door but stopped.   
"Professor- what's going to happen now?" Dumbledore was silent amount. Once again he looked very, very old.  
"I don't know." He said. Harry nodded and opened the door.  
  
POV- RON WEASLEY  
  
"Harry! Rosalie!" I cried seeing them finally coming out of the office. "Are you all right? What happened?"  
"Oh, you are ok right? What's going on? What happened? Why was Fudge here?" Hermione asked at the same time. Harry looked at us for a moment. He looked exhausted and a terrible mess. His robes were torn and dirty and his left leg was bandaged. Rosalie looked pretty bad too. I couldn't see her face though. It was hidden behind her hair.  
"We're fine." He said to us.   
"Please be quiet!" Ellard snapped as she put a hand on each of Harry and Rosalie's shoulders. "You can talk to them tomorrow!"  
"But-" I yelled watching them get swept away down the stairs. I looked into the open door of Dumbledore's office as if expecting to see something. No one was there but Dumbledore. He had his head in his hands. I watched him for a moment, wondering what had happened.  
"Come." Snape said shutting the door. I looked up, I had forgotten he was there. "I'm going to escort you back to Gryffindor tower."  
  
POV- NONE  
  
Harry walked numbly down the hall towards the hospital wing. Things were swimming around his brain and nothing was quite connecting. Too much had happened to fast. He looked down. His dress robes were filthy. Dress robes? Why was he wearing dress robes? Oh. The dance. It had happened the same night but it seemed like a lifetime. He looked to his right. Rosalie was walking slowly, hair still hiding her face. Her robes looked worse than his did. She must have noticed him looking at her because she looked at him with her tear stained face and mouthed, "I'm sorry." He was about to respond when Ellard said,  
"We're here." and opened the infirmary door. Madame Pomfrey didn't bother to greet them. She whisked them away and ordered them to change into fresh pajamas. Harry had no idea what was going on around him. He noticed the nurse fussing about his leg and Rosalie lying in the bed across the room. He felt so sleepy. There was a large black dog next to his bed that looked worried.   
"Hi, Sirius." He whispered petting the dog's head. The dog woofed softly and wagged his tail. Harry tried to smile but he was too tired. Professor Snape entered the room and motioned to Sirius who licked Harry's hand and hurried away. Harry watched Madame Pomfrey bandage his leg muttering something about curses.   
"Drink up!" She instructed sternly and Harry felt a nasty potion being forced down his throat. For the third time in less than 24 hours everything went dark.  



	22. Rosalie's Return

_Complicated_  
Chapter 22: Rosalie's Return  
By, Rosekeet  
A/N: Only one more chapter after this. Oh, joy! Don't you love mush? ^^ This is one of the longer chapters, made longer by the lyrics. Hope you all see the conection. Hm. I should concentrate more on my own ORIGINAL novel that this thing...  
Rated PG  
Dedicated to: Aesop because I feel like it  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters and titles belong to J.K. Rowling. The song _Complicated_ is sung by Avril Lavigne. I assume no credit for either of these things.  
  


_**Uh-huh  
Life's like this  
Uh-huh, uh-huh  
That's the way it is  
'Cause like's like this  
Uh-huh, uh-huh  
That's the way it is**_

  
  
Harry woke up to a weak sun streaming through the windows in the hospital wing. He blinked and stared at the ceiling for a moment trying to remember why he was there. Then all of a sudden everything came rushing back to him. He felt like he was drowning in all of his thoughts. He took a deep breath closed his eyes. Very slowly in his brain he went over each and everything that had happened. He skipped one thing though. When he was done he came back to it. Rosalie was a muggle. Not just muggle born a genuine, pure, live, bona fide muggle that Voldemort wanted to kill. And on top of that, Rosalie was determined to kill Voldemort. Harry thought about it and for a moment the whole thing seemed quite ridiculous, almost laughable. But this feeling quickly passed and another thought struck: Rosalie had been betrayed. Betrayed by her own flesh and blood. Harry felt terrible. Her parents had been murdered, Voldemort wanted to kill her, she'd almost just been murdered and _for a while she thought I was dead._  
  


_**Chill out  
What you yellin' for?  
Lay back, it's all been done before  
And if you will only let it be  
You will see**_

  
  
Harry lay there digesting this information when suddenly he began to feel quite angry. Rosalie had lied to him all this time. About her school. About Potions having once been her favorite subject. About her old wizarding friends. About everything. He didn't even know if that was her real name. He understood why she had lied, she had to protect herself, but he still felt angry. After about 15 minutes of this he reached over to the bedside table, put on his glasses and sat up slowly, feeling a bit dizzy. Across the room, still sleeping he saw Rosalie. He felt his anger be away. She looked peaceful almost happy sleeping there. Her hair was spread around her head like a halo. She was beautiful. Harry watched her silently and her eyes blinked opened. She stretched and looked at the ceiling, brow creasing as if she too was trying to remember. A moan escaped her and she rolled over to lie on her face. He was about to say something when Madame Pomfrey came in floating two breakfast trays in front of her. Without so much as a "good morning" she bustled over and gave Harry a quick examination. She flicked her wand and a breakfast tray landed on his lap.  
  


_**I like you the way you are  
When we're driving in my care  
And you're talking to me  
One on one  
But you become**_

  
  
"Eat up." She told him and hurried over to Rosalie. After about 10 minutes she had gone and Harry and Rosalie were left alone. Harry watched her silently as he ate a piece of toast, feeling quite miserable. He had realized that Rosalie would no longer be able to go to Hogwarts. She would be going home. He supposed Rosalie had realized this too because she wouldn't look him in the eye. They finished and Madame Pomfrey came back carrying two stacks of clothes. She gave them each a pile and drew the curtains around their beds with a wand wave. "Professor Dumbledore wants to speak to you." She said. "When you've changed go right up. The password is 'snickers'." Harry slide off the bed without much difficulty. The pain in his leg was gone but it felt very weak. He pulled off his pajama bottoms and looked at where the cut had been. There was hardly any evidence he had been cut at all. He peered closer and saw that there was a very faint scar. It was so light that you could barely tell it was there. He was silently grateful. No need to have people looking for another scar. He pulled on the black slacks, green shirt and tied his sneakers. He wondered briefly what had happened to his dress robes but his question was answered when he saw a pile of dark green fabric in the wastebasket. He supposed they'd be ruined beyond even wizard repair. He exited the curtains and waited silently by to door for Rosalie. She emerged dressed in plain navy skirt, white blouse and sneakers. Her hair hung undone down her back. She nodded to Harry and they exited.   
  


_**Somebody else  
'Round everyone else  
Watchin' your back  
Like you can't relax  
You're tryin' to be cool  
You look like a fool  
to me**_

  
  
It was quite a walk from the hospital wing to the statue that led to Dumbledore's office. For a while they walked in silence. Not looking at one another. Their misery hung over them like a rain cloud, darkening their spirits and faces. Suddenly Rosalie spoke,   
  


_**Tell me**_

  
  
"Harry, I'm so sorry."   
"About what?" He asked rather sharply.  
"About everything." He didn't reply he just kept walking. He wanted to start running and just keep running forever. "Harry?" She said.  
"What?" He asked stopping. He felt quite angry. "I heard!" She looked like she was about to say something nasty but she stopped and hung her head, looking quite defeated.  
"You're angry at me." She whispered.   
"So?"  
"I _am_ sorry."  
"I know, dammit! I know you're sorry! But, that doesn't change anything! You still lied to me, you still have to go and leave. Rosalie- how do I even know that's your name! For a while now I was in love with Rosalie Allison but I don't even know if she exists now." Harry said bitterly. She was silent a moment then spoke softly.  
"My name is Rosalie Lydia Billock and I didn't have a choice about lying. I had too."  
"I _know_ that! I can still be angry."  
"And I understand if you- don't- love me anymore." She said in a rush, feeling to rotten to care that she sounded stupid.  
"Dammit Rosalie!" Harry said angrily, glad the hall was empty. "I don't have a choice about that either!" She looked confused. "I still love you." She looked quite shocked.  
"I'm a- a muggle." She said weakly.  
"So? I wouldn't care if you were related to Draco Malfoy. I love you because you're smart, funny, kind, loving and beautiful, not because you're a witch." Rosalie held her face in her hands and stood quite still. Harry didn't say anything. She looked up and her eyes were full of tears.   
"Oh, Harry." She whispered and flung herself on him in a hug. "I love you too, but, everything is all wrong! I'm going to have to go away, you're going to stay here and Voldemort wants to kill me and oh-" She began to sob. Harry hugged her back tightly rocking slowly.   
"It's ok." He whispered. "It's ok."  
"No it's not ok!" She said back.   
"I know that, but I'm trying to make you feel better!" He insisted. She looked up, smiling weakly.   
"Thanks." She dried her eyes and put her hair behind her ears.   
"Come on," Harry said putting an arm around her shoulder. "We need to see Dumbledore."  
  


_**Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?  
I see the way you're  
Acting like you're somebody else gets me frustrated  
Life's like this, you  
And you fall and you crawl  
And you break and you take  
What you get and you turn it into   
Honesty Promise me I'm never gonna find you fake it**_

  
  
"You know of course that you won't be able to stay at Hogwarts?" Dumbledore asked Rosalie. She nodded and sighed heavily. Harry felt horrible. She looked so defeated.   
"So- when am I going?"   
"I don't know. I will contact you latter, but there is one more thing I need you to know." Dumbledore snapped his fingers and a large pile of old looking books appeared on the desk in front of him. On the very top was a smaller spiral bound one. Rosalie's eyes got wide and she got very pale. Dumbledore looked quite stern.  
  


_**No, no, no**_

  
  
"These books were found under your bed." Rosalie didn't say anything. "They are restricted material and Madame Pince said they were never checked out." Rosalie nodded silently and looked at her hands. "Even if the circumstances were different I'd be forced to expel you." She nodded again and Harry felt even worse for her. "I also learned from this-" Dumbledore said holding up the spiral bound book. Her head shot up.  
"My diary- where'd you get that?"  
"Your dormitory. We thought that there might have been something useful in it to help us last night. Anyway, I learned from this why you wanted these books and I must say Rosalie that was very more judgement indeed. You know very well, now from experience that you can not defeat Lord Voldemort, and you know you have only enough magic ability on your own to fly a broomstick. I am very disappointed in you." Dumbledore said handing Rosalie her Diary back. She took it not meeting the old mans eyes.  
"I am sorry, for everything." Dumbledore peered at her over his spectacles.   
"I know you are." He watched her for a moment. "You may go after I say two last things." She and Harry nodded. "I know you are going to tell Mr. Wealsey and Miss. Granger about this. I advise telling them and only them."  
"Yes sir."  
"And Rosalie- I read some of your entries written at more desperate moments in that Diary. Just remember that if the gods have let us survive it is for a reason." Rosalie looked up at the Headmaster,   
"Thank you sir."   
"I will call you up latter to tell you when you shall depart." Rosalie nodded.  
"Harry," Dumbledore said looking at him,   
"Yes sir?"   
"200 points for Gryffindor for your bravery."   
"Thank you." Harry said and opened the door. He held it open for Rosalie and then let it slam close.  
"Wow, 200 points." Rosalie said when they were at the bottom of the spiral staircase. "Yeah."  
"Gryffindor will win for sure."  
"I know." Harry said and with a start he realized he didn't really care. He would have given every point he'd ever earned to have Rosalie stay.   
  


_**You come over unannounced  
Dressed up like you're something else  
Where you are and  
Where you sat, you see  
You're making me  
Laugh out  
When you strike a pose  
Take off all your preppy clothes  
You know  
You're not fooling anyone   
When you become**_

  
  
The Gryffindor common room was mostly empty. Harry supposed Dumbledore thought everyone would be safe outside on the grounds. He had expected more people here though, since it was a very cool day.   
He and Rosalie found Ron and Hermione asleep on a couch in front of the empty fireplace. Hermione had her head in Ron's lap and his arm was around her. Rosalie managed a small smile. Harry shook them awake gently and they were instantly bombarded with questions. Harry pulled over a near by armchair and sat down with a sigh. Rosalie curled up on the empty space on the couch. After a nod from Rosalie he told the whole story. Ron and Hermione listened silently looking less and less cheerful by the minute. He stopped at the part when he got into Dumbledore's office and looked at Rosalie said,  
"You tell them."   
"Rosalie's a- muggle." He said unhappily. Ron and Hermione's jaws dropped and they started asking questions which Harry answered as best he could.  
"That charm hasn't been preformed in about 800 years!" Hermione said gasping. "That's incredible! It's very difficult to work and very draining on those donating their powers."  
"Apparently since I lost mine so fast." Rosalie said miserably and told the rest about their meeting this morning, leaving out her and Harry's conversation in the hall.  
"OH!" Hermione cried at the part about how Rosalie would have been expelled. "I'm so sorry! I gave Dumbledore those books and your Diary! I- just wanted to help! I'm so sorry, Rosalie!"  
"It's ok. It doesn't matter anyway." Hermione had started crying.   
"I should have trusted you!"  
"It's fine. I lied to you all so-"  
"You're leaving then." Ron said hugging Hermione. Rosalie nodded. "Can I ask you a question?" "I guess so..." "If you're a- if you can't do magic how come you could ride a broomstick so well and did so well in Potions and Divination?" Rosalie smiled. "Well, I've got enough magic in my blood to ride a broom. I've been doing it since I was about 6. Any Muggle could mix a potion. Some of them do in fact, or try to. And Divination, that's just guesswork. If you're a good liar, (which I am) you're good at Divination." Ron nodded and feel silent. No one spoke for a long time. The rest of the day past quite miserably. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Rosalie sat around talking quietly and only leaving for lunch and dinner. Around 6 o'clock it began to rain. Big, heavy, cold droplets pounded on the castle. A fire was started in the big fireplace and everyone gathered in the common room, chattering away happily. Seeing the unhappiness of Harry, Ron, Hermione and Rosalie almost everyone asked what was wrong. They said that Rosalie had to go back to the states for "family reasons" and the evening turned into a sort of good-bye party which Fred and George supplied food for. Harry tried to have a good time but he really felt like going outside and let the rain wash everything away.  
  


_**Someobdy else   
'Round everyone else  
Watchin' your back  
Like you can't relax  
Tryin' to be cool  
You look like a fool  
To me**_

  
  
"Play something on your violin for us, Rosie!" Someone suggested. She shook her head with a smile but at everyone's insisting agreed at last.   
"Summon it for me, will you Harry?" She asked. "I'm tired..." He agreed and Rosalie got out the lovely instrument.   
"Let's hear Harry play too!" Fred asked taking a swig of Butterbeer.   
"Uh-uh. No way." He said shaking his head.   
"Come on! Play!" Rosalie smiled encouragingly and held out her instrument. With a sigh he took the violin and bow and everybody cheered.   
"I'm only doing this for you." He told her.   
"Thanks." She whispered. Harry looked at her for a minute. She looked exhausted and emotionally drained. Her blue eyes looked haunted and reminded him of Sirius' more than ever. He put the violin under his chin and slowly turned the pegs to where he knew they would be in tune. Rosalie's violin tuned better than the transfigured one he usually used. He put the bow on the strings and began to play hearing the beat of the metronome inside his head. He had no idea what he was playing. It was a simple, but lovely untitled piece from one of Rosalie's books that he'd played so many times he'd memorized it. He didn't know it but he was swaying slightly with the music. He finished and everyone clapped and hollered. "You must be a good teacher Rosalie, to make Harry play well!" Seamus said, obviously remembering the "banshee incident". Rosalie smiled and Harry gave her the violin. She took a deep breath and began to play. It was a piece that she always warmed up with. Harry was familiar with it and listened to the first few beautiful bars. Then she faltered. Something that had never happened on that piece before.   
"Sorry." She said and started again. Once more she faltered. She frowned and tried again. Screeeeech. "Third times the charm." But, again she couldn't make it past that one beat. She shrugged. "Guess I'm too tired." Everyone cheered and cat called anyway and Rosalie turned to put the instrument away and Harry saw a tear fall onto the polished wood. She hastily wiped it away and hurried up the girls' staircase to put the case away.  
  


_**Tell Me**_

  
  
Harry awoke twice that night with nightmares he could not remember. He had fudged his was through the party and felt quite miserable. _Damn Voldemort!_ he thought fiercely. _He killed my parents and now he's taken my girlfriend! What next?_ At last he managed to sleep but he awoke early to the pounding of rain. Ron and Hermione were all ready in the common room when he got there and they greeted him.   
"Where's Rosalie?" He asked.   
"Had to see Dumbledore." Ron said staring out the window. "Said to go to breakfast without her. We decided to wait for you."  
"Alright then." Harry said and the trio went down the great hall. Breakfast was its usually noisy affair. Everyone was chattering about how they thought they did on exams, what they were going to do over holiday and the rain. Harry felt like he was detached from his body somehow. He decided that he liked it better that way though, he felt slightly numb. When the went back up to the common room. He found Rosalie sitting in her usual corner with her violin on her lap. She wasn't playing though. She had her head in her hands.  
"I can't play," She said looking up at him as if begging, him to do something. "It's gone. I can't do it."   
"Sure you can." Harry said kneeling beside her. She shook her head.  
"He took my parents, he took my old life, he's taking me away from you and he took the heart for me to play." She said shaking her head. Harry knew, what "he" she was talking about. "I just can't do it. I don't have the heart. Everything is too awful. There's no reason..." She bent down and put the instrument in its case and snapped it shut gently. Harry hugged her and she hugged him back.  
"Lots of times I found there isn't a reason." He whispered. "Things just- happen..." Rosalie nodded and sighed.   
"I'm leaving tomorrow."  
"What?!"  
"From Hogsmead Station on the 7:55 train. Dumbledore said you, Hermione, and Ron could come see me off."   
"Where are you going?" He asked holding her hands.  
"I can't tell you." She said looking down. "I know I'll be moving around a lot though. To keep away from Voldemort." She looked up at him. Harry nodded. "I better go put my violin away." She said and hurried up the stairs. He watched her and saw her wipe her eyes  
  
The rest of the day was spent with Ron and Hermione remembering all the good times they'd had together. They all went to bed early, so they wouldn't miss going to the train station and so Rosalie could pack. Hermione had give Rosalie back the charm from her earring and Harry had fixed it with a wave of his wand. He lay awake for sometime thinking about everything. He would give Rosalie the necklace to go with her earrings tomorrow. He sighed and felt suddenly exhausted. He was tired of thinking. He wanted to get away from here, from everything. He wanted to get on his Firebolt-no. He didn't want magic. He wanted to run away. Run forever and ever. Until he got somewhere better or dropped with exhaustion. He fell asleep and dreamed of running across a desert, but all the time he was chasing Rosalie, but he couldn't catch her. Then it started to rain and Harry's alarm clock was ringing.   
He felt sick as he got out of bed and pulled on pants and the sweater Mrs. Wealsey had sent him for Christmas. He looked into the mirror and started coming his hair when he stopped, remembering what he had seen in the mirror during his Divination exam. _Sadness. Misery. Snakes, Rose..._ It made sense. He shook his head and tried to forget. He didn't believe in visions.  
  


_**Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?  
I see the way you're   
Acting like you're somebody else gets me frustrated  
Life's like this, you  
And you fall and you crawl  
And you break and you take   
What you get and you turn it into  
Honesty Promise me  
I'm never gonna find you fake it**_

  
  
He met Ron, Hermione and Rosalie in front of the great doors that lead into the castle. They were gathered sadly around her trunk. Rosalie was dressed in long blue jeans with a wide belt that had a silver star buckle. Her long hair was in a braid and she was wearing a long black sweater over a black shirt. In her ears dangled the rose earrings. Harry smiled sadly and gave her the necklace. She smiled as happily as she could and Harry clasped it around her neck, kissing her gently.   
"Be happy." He whispered.   
"You aren't." She whispered back.  
"I will be if you are." He said and she nodded.   
"I'll try."   
"Have everything?" Ron asked motioning to the trunk. Rosalie nodded.   
"Hermione helped me pack last night." They were making small talk and wondering about the rain when Draco Malfoy approached them.   
"So, they've finally kicked the squib out?" He said smirking as he looked at the trunk. "It's family business." Ron said holding the back of Harry's sweater so he wouldn't try and pummel Malfoy into the stone floor. Malfoy smirked.   
"I bet it is." Rosalie stepped up to him and calmly said,   
"Malfoy, I bet that somewhere inside you is a nice person screaming to get out." Malfoy starred at her, "Maybe you should let him out once in a while." Malfoy opened his mouth but Harry stepped up to Rosalie and put his arm around her.  
"Leave. Now."   
"I'm sorry the squib has to leave, Potter. I know you like her." Malfoy said and walked away. Harry followed him with his eyes.   
"Nicest thing he's ever said to me." He commented dryly. Rosalie sighed heavily  
. "Are we ready?" Dumbledore asked appearing suddenly on the scene. They all jumped and nodded.  
  
The carriage ride to the village was a less than pleasant affair. No one spoke and they all starred dully out the window watching the rain. Even Dumbledore seemed depressed. After what seemed like an eon and a second at the same time they arrived at the station. It was a small outdoor place, just a platform and then the tracks. There was a small overhanging which they crowded under to keep from the rain. Dumbledore magiced Rosalie's trunk to the platform and then handed her a ticket.   
"Good luck." He said and she nodded as he retreated to let them say good bye. Rosalie hugged Ron and Hermione, tears trickling down her cheeks.  
"I'll write." She promised. And they nodded. Hermione was crying too. Ron wrapped his arm around her and she buried her face in his shoulder.   
Harry stood silently, unsure of what to do but Rosalie came over and wrapped her arms around him in the tightest hug he had ever felt.   
"What will I do now?" He pulled her away and looked into her eyes.  
"Keep living." He told her.   
"I don't know how I will..." She whispered looking down.  
"It's like Dumbledore said, if the gods have let us survive then there's a reason. And if we're to survive alone then- we'll have to do it." He said with a sad sigh. Rosalie started crying again.  
"I don't want to go."   
"And I don't want you too." He said. A whistle blew in the distance signaling the train's arrival. A few other people were gathered on the platform pointedly avoiding looking at them.   
"I love you." She whispered.  
"I love you too." He said back and he leaned forward and kissed her. When Harry looked back on it years latter he remembered it as the sweetest and the most bitter kiss he had ever had. They broke apart slowly; still holding onto one another as the train pulled in. A conductor hopped off and dragged Rosalie's trunk aboard. He walked her up to the door of the closed compartment ignoring the rain.   
"I don't want to go." She whispered.   
"You have to." Harry told her.  
"I can't..." He took her face in his hands and looked into her eyes.  
"Get on the train and don't look back." She nodded and hugged him tightly.  
"All aboard!" The conductor called.   
"Good bye, Harry, Ron, Hermione!" Ron and Hermione waved and yelled, "Bye!"  
"Bye! Now go!" Rosalie kissed him swiftly and hurried onto the train. Harry saw her sit down. She looked out at him and he saw tears pouring down her face. She waved. He mouthed "I love you." she nodded and tried to smile. "Don't look back." She nodded again and leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes. Slowly the doors shut and the train pulled away. Harry watched as Rosalie sliding out of view, eyes closed, still crying. The train sped away from the station and out of view. He stood for a long time, there in the rain, staring after where the train had gone; unaware that tears were sliding down his cheeks.  
  


_**No, no, no...**_

  
  



	23. Epilouge: In the Heart

_Complicated_  
Epilogue: In the Heart  
By, Rosekeet  
A/N: The final chapter. I'd like to thank all of you that have read this and especially those who've taken the time to review. It means a lot to me.  
Rated PG  
Dedicated to: Anyone who's read this fic  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related characters and titles belong to J.K. Rowling. The song _Complicated_ is sung by Avril Lavigne. I assume no credit for either of these things.   
  


_**Chill out,  
What you yellin' for?  
Lay back, it's all been done before  
And if you could let it be  
You will see**_

  
  
"Harry," Ron said putting a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, mate. Let's go." Harry nodded, surprised that he was still part of the real world. Ron looked at his face and saw that his friend had been crying. He didn't say anything; Harry didn't seem to care either. Hermione meet them under the overhanging and hugged Harry tightly. He hugged her back silently. They walked slowly to the carriage where Dumbledore was waiting inside.  
"I have some business, in town. The carriage will take you back to the school." He said stepping out. They all got in and started off.   
"Wonder what Dumbledore's doing." Ron said, obviously trying to spark Harry's interest. He just shrugged and starred out the window, watching the rain slide down. He was drenched and freezing but didn't really care.   
Hermione, who was sharing a seat with Ron scooted over next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. Ron took her hand and the sat silently all the way back to Hogwarts.   
  


_**Somebody else  
'Round everyone else  
You're watchin' your back  
Like you can't relax  
You're tryin' to be cool  
You look like a fool, to me**_

  
  
The common room was crowded but no one bothered them when they entered. Harry felt oblivious to everything around him. He hadn't felt a feeling quite like this before.   
"Want to play chess?" Ron asked. Harry shook his head.  
"No thanks. I think I'll go have a nap. Didn't sleep well last night."   
"All right then." Ron said and as Harry turned to leave he caught him by the shoulder, "Harry, please head your own advice: keep living. You have to live apart from her, but you've got to do it." Harry smiled.  
"Thanks Ron, but I just want to be alone for a while." Ron nodded and Harry went up to the dormitory. He opened the door slowly and was glad it was deserted. He walked over to his bed and kicked off his sneakers and pulled own a dry sweater. He turned to climb up onto the bed but noticed something was lying there. It was Rosalie's violin case.   
  


_**Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?  
I see the way you're  
Acting like your somebody else gets me frustrated  
Life's like this, you  
And you fall and you crawl  
And you break and you take  
What you get and you turn it into  
Honesty Promise me I'm never gonna find you fake it**_

  
  
"Why's this here?" He wondered aloud. He got onto his bed deciding to send it to her by owl when he noticed there was a note on it. It read, "Harry" in Rosalie's familiar script. He pulled it off the case and opened it.  
  
_Dear Harry,  
  
I can't express how sorry I am about everything that has happened. At first I wished that none of this had ever happened but then I realized that we never would have met. But, I also wish my parents were alive and if they were we wouldn't have met. So, I guess I wish things had just turned out differently. We can't change the past though.  
You are probably wondering why you found my violin on your bed. Well, I'll tell you. I am giving it to you, as a gift. I just don't have the heart to play it anymore. Learn to play it for me Harry. Work through the books I gave you by yourself, and if the Muggles let you take lessons with a real teacher, a professional. You have potential, and I'm not just saying that. Please don't send it back to me. I won't play it. An instrument is meant to be played and enjoyed. Learn to play it, and develop a heart for music.   
Harry, as I have said before, I love you. I mean that too. You are the first boy I've ever loved and I'll never forget you. I promise to write as often as I can. I'll never ever forget you. You'll be in my heart until I die, and I swear that. I do  
n't know if we are meant to be together, but if we are I suppose fate will find away. Please don't dwell on me, Harry. I want you to live a full, happy life at Hogwarts. I don't mind if you want to date other girls. Good luck at Quidditch next season. I'll miss playing with you and everybody else. I hope you can find another Chaser, one better than myself.   
Remember what Dumbledore told us and please, even if you fall in love with someone else, don't forget me.   
Love you forever,  
Rosalie  
  
PS: Do you remember all those months ago, when your invisibility cloak went missing? I took it. That's how I got those books from the restricted section. I'm sorry. _  
  
Harry read the letter again. _How could I forget?_ He thought and felt his eyes began to blur. A large drop of water ran down his nose and onto the letter, smearing the purple ink. Harry sat the letter down and put the violin under his bed and for the first time since he was ver small Harry, cried. He sat on his bed and sobbed until there was nothing left. He then lay back on his pillow and slept for a long, long time.  
  


_**No, no**_

  
  
Life goes on, Sirius wrote to Harry, It won't seem like it now, but it does. And he found it to be true. Gryffindor won the house cup and he spent summer with the Dursley's and school came again. Fall passed, winter came, and spring followed. Summer came again and was followed by fall. Quidditch was played and another year passed. Hermione became Headgirl and she and Ron were happy. All the time Harry thought of Rosalie. They wrote often and said they still loved each other but he still felt like he had a whole inside. Time heals all wounds, Dumbledore told him, but the ache was still there. But Harry learned to live with it. It became a part of him, like his arms or his scar.   
Voldemort was still murdering and recruiting followers. People were afraid and dark times were upon the wizarding world again.   
Harry, Ron and Hermione graduated. Harry joined the Auror Corps. Ron opened a Broomstick manufacturing business and Hermione became a teacher. Two years later Ron and Hermione got married and 10 months after that announced they were going to have a child. Harry became a recognized and respected Auror and captured many Dark Wizards. He also thought of Rosalie. They still wrote to one another. She had moved around Europe and even to Asia and Africa, he suspected. And the ache was still there. He lost remembrance of a time when it had not been there. Ah, yes, life went on, but Rosalie was still filling up his heart.  
  


_**Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?  
I see the way you're  
Acting like you're somebody else gets me frustrated  
Life's like this, you  
And you fall and you crawl  
And you fake and you take  
What you get and you turn it into  
Honesty Promise me I'm never gonna find you fake it**_

  
  



End file.
